(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) The International Code of Marketing for Breastmilk Substitutes which gives detailed recommendations with regards to regulating the sector was ratified by the 34th World Health Assembly in 1981.
Sharjah: The Sharjah Baby-Friendly Emirate Campaign (SBFC) recently took part in a meeting in Cairo about substitutes for breast milk. Called the ‘Intercountry Meeting for the Development of Action Plan for the International Code of Marketing for Breastmilk Substitutes’ the three-day event was organised by World Health Organisation Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean (WHO Emro).
Dr Hessa Al Ghazal director of the Executive Committee of the Sharjah Baby-Friendly Emirate Campaign attended the meeting by invitation of IBFAN — Arab World the regional representation of the International Baby Food Action Network.
Speaking about her participation Dr Al Ghazal said “The benefits of breastfeeding to infant health are indisputable which is why SBFC has been working diligently to create an environment in Sharjah that is conducive to encouraging mothers to breast feed.
“Monitoring the way that breast milk substitutes are marketed and portrayed is vital. One of the biggest challenges we face especially in this region is the misinformation and misconceptions that exist surrounding breastfeeding and milk substitutes a situation that is greatly compounded by the often aggressive methods employed to market breast milk substitutes. If we want to be successful in elevating the number of infants being breastfed we must look at regulating the way breast milk substitutes are marketed.”
The international call to better regulate the marketing of breast milk alternatives is not new. The ‘International Code of Marketing for Breastmilk Substitutes’ which gives detailed recommendations with regards to regulating the sector was ratified by the 34th World Health Assembly in 1981. However 33 years later in 2014 there are still only seven out of the 22 countries which had originally endorsed the Code that have passed laws that reflect all of the Code’s recommendations. Six countries have passed a number of the Codes’ provisions into different laws and decrees and a further seven have incorporated provisions in their legislation.
Among the challenges faced in this region Dr Al Ghazal said are the absence of bodies responsible for monitoring and implementation of the Code the lack of awareness among healthcare workers with regards to the Code the long approval periods in the creation of regulations and laws and a lack of funding from health authorities allocated for Code training and monitoring.
“Our children are the future and they deserve the best possible start in life and that is what breastfeeding offers.”
The SBFC was initiated in March 2012 with the aim of creating a better and healthier environment for future generations and hence it aspires to ensure that all health facilities establishments nurseries workplaces and public places provide a healthy environment for babies and mothers with the aim of Sharjah becoming totally baby-friendly by 2015.
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