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ICDC KICKING OFF THE NEW YEAR IN DHAKA BANGLADESH
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Grand finale of the Code training.
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Invited by IBFAN’s country group in Bangladesh, the Bangladesh Breastfeeding Foundation (BBF), ICDC’s Legal Advisor, Yeong Joo Kean and Programme Manager, Constance Ching were in Dhaka to provide training on the implementation and monitoring of the Bangladesh BMS Act (Act No. 35 of 2013) from 20 to 22 January, 2019. 13 years after the last visit, ICDC was delighted to be invited to train on a revised, better and stronger law; one which WHO/UNICEF and IBFAN classified as a “Category 1” law – which means, the 2013 BMS Act, read together with its 2017 Regulations, has managed to fulfil most international recommendations. Participants of the training consisted of BBF Health Workers and Programme Managers, as well as officials from the Institute of Public Health Nutrition (IPHN). An online monitoring tool was developed at the end of the training to make reporting more convenient for monitors as well as for BBF to share data with relevant government agencies.[Read more]
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25 COUNTRIES ISSUE ALERTS AND WITHDRAWALS OF CONTAMINATED RICE-BASED FORMULAS AND BABY FOODS
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Powdered infant formulas are NOT sterile products.
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Packaged baby milk and foods in powder form are not sterile products and can become contaminated by harmful bacteria during the production process. Many parents, care-givers and health professionals are aware that the water used to prepare powdered infant and follow-up formulas and cereals may be contaminated by bacteria. But few are aware that bacteria such as Salmonella, Enterobacter/ Cronobacter sakazakii and Bacillus cereus can be introduced during the manufacturing stages of these highly-processed products. These bacteria thrive in warm milk and can multiply rapidly when the powder is mixed with warm water, causing serious illness in infants and young children. Even though all labels of powdered formulas must include texts to warn that these are not sterile products, whether they are milk-based, rice-based or soy-based; the reality is that very few manufacturers include the warning or labels or instructions for preparation to reduce the risk to infant health. Also, sometimes it takes a while to make the connection between the contaminated products and cases of food poisoning in infants and young children. By the time there are official alerts and recalls, many babies would have fallen ill already.
Through the years, IBFAN has diligently kept and updated a global Recall List of baby food products. While the new WHO advice only mentions powdered infant formula, the IBFAN recall list shows that other powdered products are also concerned by potential contamination, and thus also includes alerts about withdrawals and recalls of other powdered milks and cereal products consumed by older babies.[Read more]
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THE BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL (BMJ) DROPS THE BABY FORMULA INDUSTRY
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As one of the oldest and best-known peer-reviewed medical journals in the world, this decisions is a huge step forward and hopefully will have ripple effect on other medical associations, medical research institutes, health professional organisations, and health professionals.
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Closely following the footsteps of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) for turning away sponsorship from formula companies, it was announced on 18th March, 2019 that the British Medical Journal (BMJ) and their sister publications will no longer publish advertisements from baby formula companies. It states, “BMJ has recently been reminded of the substantial harms caused by promotion of breastmilk substitutes and the biases introduced into research and clinical practice by industry influence. After decades of advertising breast milk substitutes to readers of The BMJ, we have decided it is time to stop.”[Read more]
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THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF PAEDIATRICS AND CHILD HEALTH DECIDES TO TURN AWAY MONEY FROM FORMULA COMPANIES
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This is a significant step as the UK has one of the lowest rates of breastfeeding in the world.
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In February 2019, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) Council announced that it has decided to no longer accept any funding from formula milk companies, and reiterated their commitment to promoting and supporting breastfeeding. This decision is long-awaited as the RCPCH has long been under the scrutiny of public health and breastfeeding advocates for accepting funding from baby food companies. In fact, a group of child health experts from WHO questioned RCPCH’s integrity and impartiality for accepting funding from industry, “acceptance of funding or other incentives, however conditional, creates a sense of obligation and loyalty to the company in question. This is exactly what health professional associations, including the RCPCH, should avoid.”[Read more]
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REGISTER NOW FOR THE 3RD WORLD BREASTFEEDING CONFERENCE – RIO DE JANEIRO, 11-15 NOVEMBER 2019
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This is a significant step as the UK has one of the lowest rates of breastfeeding in the world.
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IBFAN, with the support of the Government of Brazil and public universities proudly host the Third World Breastfeeding Conference (3rd WBC) and the First World Complementary Feeding Conference (1st WCFC) together with the XV Brazilian Breastfeeding Meeting (XV ENAM) and the V Brazilian Healthy Complementary Feeding Meeting (V ENACS) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 11 to 15 November 2019. These meetings will be preceded by the “Thousand Mothers Breastfeeding” promotion mass media event, on the 11th November. The Conference will call for committed action and provide a platform for breastfeeding advocates, governments, scientists, civil society organizations, UN agencies, international organizations, research institutions, public interest groups, students, community health care workers, and other stakeholders to discuss and share experiences.
[Read more]
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| Updated Quick and Easy Form & Latest Code Monitoring Reports |
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IBFAN-ICDC collects Code violations globally. Through the user-friendly Online Monitoring Form and Phone App, violations and practices that undermine breastfeeding are sent to the centralised database. We have recently updated the Quick and Easy Monitoring Forms, they are now available in English, Chinese, French, Spanish, Russian and Arabic.
The materials are then analysed and written up as monitoring reports that can be accessed by the public. View Code Monitoring Reports and other Thematic Monitoring Reports. |
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With a focus on implementation of the International Code worldwide, IBFAN-ICDC was founded in 1985.
IBFAN-ICDC
- organised over close to 70 Code training courses from 1991 to 2018, trained over 2020 government officials and NGO workers from 148 countries
- training had a positive impact on Code implementation in 79 of these countries
- collects, analyses, and evaluates national laws and codes and other regulatory measures
- conducts Code monitoring
- periodically publishes handbooks and guidelines on Code implementation; State of the Code by Country report, and various monitoring reports (See all publications)
Contact us for inquiries on Training Requests. |
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