Join the One Million Campaign to Support Breastfeeding
On February 9th (2009) Baby Milk Action and International Baby Food Action Network – Asia, launched an international campaign to collect a million signatures on a global petition calling for strict implementation of the International Code for Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes and support for women who breastfeed. The campaign was launched in India where there is increasing concern over the infant mortality rate of 56 per 1000 live births.
Breast milk advocates were also alarmed by the recent poisioning of Chinese infants with melamine-contaminated milk. As of last September the WHO reported that the incident had caused over 50,000 Chinese infants to be hospitalized with urinary problems. More recently Reuters reported that the contaminated milk was responsible for 6 deaths and had made 300,000 infants ill.
The campaign’s call notes that: About 10 million of the world’s children die every year before they reach their fifth birthday. That is, over 27,000 per day, or over 1100 per hour. Of these, over a third – more than 450 – are less than a month old. Evidence tells us that good breastfeeding practices can save thousands of these babies. Unfortunately, not even half the women of the world can carry out adequate breastfeeding. 135 million babies are born every year. Only 64 million women can initiate timely breastfeeding. Only 48 million women can practise exclusive breastfeeding for six months.
The petition reads as follows:
To world leaders: As citizens, we call for a stop to commercial interference in infant nutrition, the strict implementation of the International Code for Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes and ensuring support for women to breastfeed. We urge you to create/implement legislation that restricts infant milk manufacturers from promoting their products as breastmilk substitutes/baby foods, to have a budgeted plan of action to promote and support women for optimal breastfeeding and to ensure breastfeeding friendly workplaces with adequate nursing breaks in the public and private sector so that working women are not forced to abandon breastfeeding.
It is hoped that the effort to disseminate the petition will serve to link breast milk advocates from around the world.
For more information, click on the icon.
Posted by Matt Anderson, MD
FROM THE ONE MILLION CAMPAIGN:
New Research Findings Vindicate our Call to Demand Support to Women
We bring you an eye opener! The findings were announced in the journal ‘Obstetrics and Gynecology’ on Tuesday, 22nd April 2009.
Women who breastfeed their babies for more than a year in lifetime, actually end up lowering their own risk of a heart attack or stroke. Scientists have now found that women who breastfeed for more than a year are 10% less likely to develop heart conditions than those who did not. Breastfeeding was also found to reduce the risk of high blood pressure by 12% and diabetes and high cholesterol by around 20%.
This requires SUPPORT for WOMEN TO BREASTFEED SUCCESSFULLY
For more details visit: http://onemillioncampaign.org/en/Resources1Temp.aspx