priorityIBFAN WEBSITE GUIDE TO THE EB
The 158th session of the Executive Board will take place at WHO HQ in Geneva. 2–7 February 2026.
CLICK HERE for the Agenda and Documentation. Preliminary daily timetable
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IBFAN intervention on Agenda 25 Thursday 5th Feb. 2026 is the biennial reporting year for the International Code. DG Report on Maternal, infant and young child nutrition,
IBFAN believes there is an urgent need for a new WHA Resolution to update the 20 year-old WHO and Codex guidelines on intrinsic contamination of powdered formula. This could help reduce the serious health risk for infants, our most vulnerable population. The WHO Guidelines on the Safe preparation, storage and handling of powdered infant formula and the Codex Code of Hygienic Practice for Powdered Formulae for Infants and Young Children are not adequate for C botulinum, Bacillus cereus or spores that are “unlikely to be deactivated or destroyed by cooking, using boiling water or when making the infant milk.”
The recalls have highlighted systemic failures in formula and baby food production, regulatory surveillance, transparency, recall systems and crisis communication and the need for independent and regular scrutiny of manufacturing processes and facilities. The idealising online promotion and export of powdered baby food products exacerbates food safety risks, and persuades parents to unquestioningly trust products, undermining breastfeeding that can a be lifeline for children.
Agenda Item 25 Maternal, infant and young child nutrition Thursday PM
Contamination of commercial formulas has led to infant fatalities, factory closures, interrupted supplies, legal actions and much distress to families. They have exposed systemic failures in formula production, regulatory surveillance, recall systems and crisis management. Cross-border Social media marketing exacerbates the food safety risks, enabling contaminated unregistered products to enter countries where treatment may not be available. The idealised marketing misleads and instils unquestioning trust in the risky product. Governments must take the lead in changing Food safety cultures and ensure independent verification. Manufacturers and authorities must listen to – not punish whistle-blowers. Codex and WHO Guidelines are now nearly 20 years old and no longer adequate. A global response led by WHO is urgently needed to better protect families – whose trust is betrayed. Please don’t ignore this. This why we need WHO\
Agenda Item 28.6. Engagement with non-State actors
Report on the implementation of the Framework of Engagement with Non-State Actors
IBFAN’s collaboration with WHO over 47 years led to a consumer protection Code that has saved millions of children’s lives.
We know the importance of WHO’s independence, integrity and trustworthiness if it is to fulfil its constitutional mandate to protect the rights of all people to health. WHO’s constitution is a remarkable model, a core function of which is to propose conventions, agreements and regulations.
So Due diligence is needed to screen multi-stakeholder collaborations, especially for health-harming corporations – entities with no democratic accountability and whose aim is invariably to delay and undermine WHO’s essential action. In a world increasingly governed by economic interests, policy setting must be free from commercial influence so WHO’s wise leadership is needed more than ever. No single country can do what WHO does. Thank you.
Other statements:
Burundi EB158(Agenda 25)
Mr. President, Burundi supports the regional declaration issued by Lesotho.
1. Burundi welcomes the Director-General’s report on Infant, Child and Maternal Nutrition (IYCF: The First 1000 Days of Life) and reaffirms the importance of the WHO’s role in protecting breastfeeding and the health of young children. With an exclusive breastfeeding rate of approximately 85%, Burundi remains committed to promoting optimal nutritional practices, as well as iron supplementation and deworming with albendazole, including for indigenous populations.
2. Despite these achievements, major challenges persist, notably chronic and acute malnutrition, which continue to affect children. This situation underscores that IYCF remains a fundamental issue for child survival and development.
3. Recent cases of contaminated commercial infant formula underscore the urgent need for a coordinated response by the WHO and an urgent update of the IYCF guidelines.
International Pharmaceutical Students’ Federation (IPSF) and International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA)
Thank you. Honourable Chair, Distinguished delegates, This statement is supported by the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA). I speak today not only as President of the International Pharmaceutical Students’ Federation, but as a young mother who was able to breastfeed for 2.5 years. Yet this is not the reality for most families; 52.6% of mothers and children never get the chance to exclusively breastfeed for the first six months. We are the generation that must ensure the 2030 breastfeeding and nutrition targets are met. Therefore, we urge Member States to adopt national family‐focused policies: sufficient paid parental leave, postpartum support, child benefits and guaranteed access to nutritious food for mothers and children, and to ensure that returning to work never forces women to choose between their careers and their families.
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Thank you chair. IBFAN is a founding member of the Inter-agency Infant Feeding in Emergencies, set up to ensure good coordinated emergency responses. The value of breastfeeding – a resilient practice that provides food, care and immune protection – is never better demonstrated than during emergencies so we thank WHO for its work. Yet all too often breastfeeding is forgotten. Of course ALL women have the sovereign right to decide how to feed their children – but appeals must avoid spreading misconceptions and ensure skilled support for breastfeeding, re-lactation and safe spaces for mothers and children. Emergencies must never be exploited to create markets for commercial products. Online appeals and promotions for inappropriate donations – especially when Intrinsically contaminated – add to the chaos, worry and risks to child health and survival..
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The Executive Board is composed of 34 technically qualified members elected for three-year terms. Its main functions are to implement the decisions and policies of the Health Assembly, and to advise and generally facilitate its work.
Chair and Officers of the EB Composition of the Board:
CABO VERDE, CAMEROON, CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC, COMOROS, LESOTHO , TOGO (Vice-Chair), ZIMBABWE, BARBADOS, CHILE, COSTA RICA, EL SALVADOR, HAITI, PANAMA (Rapporteur), DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF KOREA (Pyongyang), NEPAL, THAILAND (Vice-Chair), BULGARIA, ISRAEL, NORWAY (Vice-Chair), POLAND, SPAIN, SWITZERLAND, UKRAINE, EGYPT, LEBANON, QATAR, SAUDI ARABIA (Vice-Chair), SOMALIA, AUSTRALIA (Chair), BRUNEI DARUSSALAM, JAPAN, REPUBLIC OF KOREA (Seoul) SOLOMON ISLANDS.
Click here for addresses of national embassies.
Preparations for EB158 & PBAC43 Member State Information Session
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2026 is the reporting year for the International Code. CLICK HERE for the Report by the Director-General on Maternal, infant and young child nutrition. Below are excerpts from the report:
Progress in implementing the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes and related Health Assembly resolutions
19. Member States continue to strengthen legislation and regulatory instruments giving effect to the International Code. The Status Report 2024 found that 146 of the 194 WHO Member States have adopted legal measures to implement at least some of the provisions in the Code, covering 91% of global annual births, and that 33 Member States have legal measures substantially aligned with the Code. Since the publication of the Status Report 2024, Argentina, Benin, Cuba, Indonesia, Kuwait, Senegal and the United Arab Emirates have strengthened their legal measures to align with the Code.
20. WHO and UNICEF organized a number of regional workshops to strengthen Code legislation, monitoring and enforcement in 2024 and 2025. Workshops in eastern Europe and central Asia (eight countries), western Africa (11 countries), southern Africa (four countries), and the Caribbean and Latin America developed solutions and actions to strengthen Code implementation, monitoring and enforcement.
21. To advance protection against conflicts of interest in healthcare, WHO continued to address the sponsorship of healthcare providers and professional organizations by manufacturers of foods for infants and young children. WHO published a series of briefs to assist healthcare professional associations in ending this sponsorship, including a model sponsorship policy,6 a brief on alternative funding options,7 and a compendium of case studies of associations that have refused sponsorship.8
22. To advance the development of monitoring systems and technologies for identifying marketing of breast-milk substitutes in digital environments, the WHO Secretariat has convened civil society and academics to compare various models for identifying digital marketing activities, including social media listening platforms, cell phone screenshots, artificial intelligence analysis of online content and user reports.
23. WHO and UNICEF have been participating in the Codex Electronic Working Group to develop a new Codex standard for complementary foods. WHO’s inputs have been partially based on the Nutrient and Promotion Profile Models from Europe9 and south-east Asia.10 A draft text on the labelling section of the standard is being prepared.
24. The annual Global Breastfeeding Scorecard documents country progress in improving breastfeeding rates and in implementing policy and programmatic indicators to protect and support breastfeeding. The 2024 Scorecard documented that improvements in breastfeeding rates have been substantial in some countries, with 23 countries reporting gains exceeding 10 percentage points over the previous five years. The Scorecard also showed that rates of continued breastfeeding are almost two and a half times higher in countries with legislation substantially aligned with the Code compared to countries with no Code legislation.
Report of the Ombudsperson (19th December EB158/INF./2)
Below are excerpts from this important report that address, among other things, the impact of the severe financial cuts on WHO staff and their families:
3. The year 2025 may well go down as the most difficult year yet in the history of WHO. Indeed, it was characterized by unprecedented budget cuts. In the light of this situation and the ensuing crisis, the Organization took action to re-evaluate its strategic and financial approach and organizational structure. Measures on cost reductions and efficiencies were introduced as early as January 2025 in relation to the strategic alignment of available financing with key priorities. An overarching prioritization and realignment exercise was launched to identify core areas of focus and guide human resources decisions …
6. The Ombudsperson would like to stress that during this challenging year, WHO has not ceded to the considerable pressure placed upon it to rapidly implement measures that might be financially expedient in the short term but would ultimately be at odds with core WHO values …
10. When the Organization clearly states the rules and policies that will be applied and can subsequently demonstrate that it has respected this legal framework, trust is built and goodwill remains a hallmark of relations between the employer and the employee. This is particularly true in areas of ambiguity, and doing so maintains the Organization’s credibility. When policies reflect WHO values ‒ even at a financial cost ‒ staff recognize the integrity of that approach. Special attention should be given to fully explaining amendments, changes in policies and the rationale for exceptions in order to avoid misunderstandings and even conflicts, and to maintain trust …
15. Knowing the challenges ahead, it is noted with concern that there has been a drastic reduction in the number of professional ombudspersons in the Organization in 2025. There is now only one ombudsperson in the Office of the Ombudsperson and Mediation Services supporting employees at all headquarters duty stations (including IARC, ICC and UNAIDS). Further, only the regional offices for the Americas, Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean have a full-time ombudsperson….
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