Our Brazilian colleagues have told us about a Nestlé J.Pedia online learning program that was launched in June. The program has targeted 15,000 24/25 year old medical students – offering consultant positions, in exchange for signed contracts and the publishing of articles – related to the launch of new products, Nan supreme.  Although the 1st section is focused on breastfeeding we understand that the subsequent ones are about formula.
The provision of training and education to pediatricians or any healthcare providers by manufacturers or distributors of breastmilk substitutes or baby foods is clearly a conflict of interest that is forbidden by eight WHA Resolutions.  Nestlé  knows this and clearly challenging WHO on this.

1996 WHA Res  49.15:  Preambular para: “Concerned that health institutions and ministries may be subject to subtle pressure to accept, inappropriately, financial or other support for professional training in infant and child health”…urged Member States:….(2) to ensure that the financial support for professionals working in infant and young child health does not create conflicts of interest, especially with regard to the WHO/UNICEF Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative; (3) to ensure that monitoring the application of the International Code and subsequent relevant resolutions is carried out in a transparent, independent manner, free from commercial influence;  http://www.who.int/nutrition/topics/WHA49.15_iycn_en.pdf?ua=1

2001 WHA Res 54.2  2.    REQUESTS the Director-General: (2) to foster, with all relevant sectors of society, a constructive and transparent dialogue in order to monitor progress towards implementation of the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes and subsequent relevant Health Assembly resolutions, in an independent manner and free from commercial influence, and to provide support to Member States in their efforts to monitor implementation of the Code;

(4) to ensure that the introduction of micronutrient interventions and the marketing of nutritional supplements do not replace, or undermine support for the sustainable practice of, exclusive breastfeeding and optimal complementary feeding

  • 2005, World Health Assembly (WHA) resolution 58.32, further urges Member States “to ensure that financial support and other incentives for programmes and health professionals working in infant and young child health do not create conflict of interest”;
  • 2016 May 2016 the World Health Assembly adopted the “Guidance on Inappropriate Promotion of Foods for Infants and Young Children” (WHA69/7 – https://www.who.int/nutrition/topics/guidance-inappropriate-food-promotion-iyc/en/), which urges companies, health workers, health systems and health professional associations to avoid conflicts of interest

Nestlé claims that the Aims of the J.Pedia Program are to: To expand the knowledge of residents in infant nutrition by means of a program that guides, educates and improves knowledge and capacity in the areas of pediatric nutrition, so as to make residents better prepared for clinical practice.

How will the Program work?   Access to the J.Pedia is only through the exclusive digital platform for HCPs: Pediatria Nestlé

The First step:  The R1 (first year resident) or R2 (second year resident) will be invited by a Nestlé representative to join the program.  The resident will need to provide some data for pre-registration on the J.Pedia platform.

Second step: The resident logs onto Pediatria Nestlé, clicks on Continued Education. For those who are registered an option will show E Learning for pediatric residents only. When you click on this option you will be taken to the J.Pedia platform. On the platform, only the courses necessary for residency year shall appear. The resident can choose which module to start and, once that module is open, s/he will have 30 days to finish it.

Third step:  Residents must get 80% right in the knowledge test.  At the end of each module, the resident gets a digital certificate.  At the end of the “course”, the resident gets a digital conclusion certificate.

 

 

 

 

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