Press Release: National WIC Association Statement on Infant Formula Manufacturers
September 10, 2016
For Immediate Release
September 10, 2016
Contact: Hannah Shultz
hshultz@nwica.org
319-541-7357
Denver, CO: This morning, National WIC Association (NWA) Board of Directors Chair, Donna Bister, announced during NWA’s 2016 Nutrition Education & Breastfeeding Promotion Conference the Association is ending its relationships with infant formula manufacturers, putting into effect a resolution passed in May 2015 and reaffirmed in May 2016 by voting members of the Association.
Effective immediately, NWA will no longer invite infant formula manufacturers to be members, exhibitors at conferences, advertisers or sponsors of events and activities.
This resolution falls in line with NWA’s goal of supporting WIC as the nation’s Go-to-Breastfeeding Program and follows a series of actions including advocating for increased funding for breastfeeding support and counseling, promoting the involvement of IBCLCs at the state and local level as active breastfeeding team players, encouraging local agencies to adopt the NWA Six Steps to Achieve Breastfeeding Goals for WIC Clinics, and building partnerships with other public health organizations and the USDA to encourage and support breastfeeding.
The National WIC Association is the education arm and advocacy voice of the nation’s 12,200 WIC public health service provider agencies and the 8 million WIC mothers and young children.
More information about the National WIC Association, WIC and this resolution can be found at www.nwica.org.