Once again the Nesles is called on to observe the international standards they accepted. Experts have called on the UN Global Compact Office to expel Nestles because the company is, as usual, ignoring the international Code of Marketing Breast Milk Substitutes and in this way undermining breastfeeding: “Trade union busting” and ignoring related court decisions, failing to stop child labor and slavery in its cocoa supply chain, exploiting the coffee and dairy industry farmers, degrading water resources. Nestle has three months to respond but I doubt they will do anything other than deny the charges. Their slogan should be money first people last.
http://www.babymilkaction.org/press/press17june09.html
[For a review copy of 'Nestlé's UN Global Compact cover up', contact mbrady@babymilkaction.org]
Its incredible that “pro-lifers” who decry abortion as murder have the gall to murder a dedicated physician performing legal abortion. This pro-life murderer makes a mockery of the pro-lifers stance. Women who seek a late term abortion from a trained physician are very desperate and an abortion may be needed when serious birth defects are diagnosed in the fetus or occasionally to to save a mother’s life. Drs. like Tiller are committed to giving women the right to choose and perform a vital service.
Dr Tiller was shot, threatened, his clinic was vandalized and yet despite informing the authorities nothing was done. What is wrong with our existing laws and regulatory bodies that have been established to protect clinics and staff against violence?
Fox News television was spitefully calling “Dr Teller baby killer.” News reporters should be held responsible for inciting violence. They should be held accountable for their lies. Its very sad there are hatemongers who take the law in their hands. More enforcement of regulation is required to stop this violence and murder.
On June the 5th, the House finally passed a long overdue bill giving Federal working moms four weeks paid maternity leave. Of course there were those who were against giving women anything. A preposterous argument against giving women paid maternity leave was made by some opposed to the bill who alleged that this would induce women to become pregnant or adopt often to take advantage of the of the paid leave. (Anyone who has had children can attest to how difficult and costly it can be to feed, nurture and care for infants as if 4 weeks pay is such a huge amount.)
Previously the US was one of the five countries with no paid maternity leave. Now the US and Tunisia are the only two countries with only 4 weeks paid maternity leave for federal workers. Should we be grateful? No its really shameful ! In most other countries women get 12 weeks or more paid maternity leave and this is available not only to all women workers. Its really pathetic that the US is so backward in promoting measures to support maternal and child care.
Furthermore paid lactation leave is not available in the US while in most countries paid lactation leave is commonplace. In the US workers can get toilet and smoke breaks but object to lactation breaks. Could it be the influence of the formula industry which would prefer mothers to bottle feed and see lactation breaks as reducing mothers dependency on the formula. When breastfeeding mothers in the workforce are not allowed to express breastmilk their milk supply stops their breasts become engorged and in no time formula feeding ensues.
There is no question that exclusive breastfeeding is important for optimal infant growth and health. Furthermore women who get maternity leave are very loyal workers and businesses have found these women are more loyal, more committed workers, take less sick leave and don’t have to be replaced as the leave is temporary. Mothers have a right to work and breastfeed and nurture their infants.
The Women’s International Public Health Network (WIPHN) was started in Mexico City for the women in public health and related areas. Especially, they wanted to have a newsletter to share resources, programs, concerns and sisterhood. Women from over 67 countries world-wide, with a wide range of expertise, contributed to the newsletter. Below are scanned versions of these newsletters for all to see.
In reviewing the material, I find it evident that we have still have a long way to go, especially in maternal and infant health. Violence against women, maternal deaths due to lack of maternity care, infectious diseases, AIDS, and TB are all still rampant. Whist there is an International WHO/UNICEF Code for marketing of breastmilk substitutes, the infant formula companies still make millions with what is a mostly unnecessary product. Progress has been made in that we now know that infants on mixed feeding breast and formula have a higher transmission of HIV than those exclusively breastfed or exclusively formula fed. The refugee problem is increasing and few inroads have been made on poverty and malnutrition.
To view these newsletters, visit baumslag.com/wiphn
Corrupt governments and corporate greed have increased poverty and malnutrition. Handouts don’t help but income generating projects and the Grameen bank have helped raise some women out of poverty. This plus education and universal access to health care will go a long way to creating change.
Please send your comments and any information on new effective programs and ways to move forward.
Barack Obama has promised true change in America. The pharmaceutical industry is probably one of the areas in this country which needs this change most. In the United States, corporate profit is currently ahead of human health. We need the health priorities of our nation to be forefront in the health care policy of the FDA, HHS, and other health-related agencies — not the high profits of pharmaceutical and insurance companies.
Breastfeeding
In 1981 the US was the only country to vote against a voluntary World Health Code for the marketing of breastmilk substitutes, its stance being along the lines of “Breastmilk is good for babies but not for business”. Today, we still do not have a national code of this nature, despite the Clinton administration’s endorsement of the WHO/UNICEF code in 1994.
With some of the highest rates of both infant and maternal morality, the United States needs to promote breastfeeding — an action which will improve our infants health, decrease infant obesity, lower the number of hospitalizations, and more. Breastmilk fed infants don’t need the Rota-virus vaccine. Yet despite these proven advantages, the USDA’s WIC (Womens Infants and Children) Program provides nearly half of all US newborn infants with free infant formula. Not only does WIC give taxpayer money to infant formula companies, it promotes a product greatly inferior to breastmilk.
There are many instances where the infant formula industry has interfered and watered down breastfeeding promotion initiatives, such as those of HHS.
Breastfeeding saves lives and gives babies a passport to life. The health care cost savings of breastfeeding are tremendous. (See my book, Milk, Money and Madness, for details.) We need a strong program to protect, promote and support breastfeeding.
Maternity Leave
Most industrialized countries have 12-weeks or more of paid maternity. The United States of America has none. The health of American mothers and their infants should be of first priority. Should America not be a world-leader in this area, as well? America should have a federal minimum of 12-weeks paid maternity leave.