A Study founds that "Breast milk destroys HIV and blocks oral transmission"

Breast milk has a strong virus killing effect and can protect against oral transmission of HIV, a new study has found. More than 15 percent of new HIV infections occur in children.

Read the ARTICLE from Hindustantimes.com

Extremely Low Rates of Exclusive Breastfeeding in Algeria

The CRC Committee reviewed the combined 3rd and 4th report of Algeria on 8^th June 2012. IBFAN-GIFA had submitted an alternative report on the situation of infant and young child feeding in Algeria. The report focused on the extremely low rates of exclusive breastfeeding in Algeria. IBFAN also expressed concern over the lack of implementation and monitoring of the International Code of Marketing of Breast milk Substitutes (the Code).

Algeria registers very low breastfeeding rates, especially exclusive bf for the first 6 months (7%).  The Committee addressed the issue of bf in Algeria and stressed the importance of early initiation of bf and exclusive bf up to 6 months of the child’s life. 

The causes of infant mortality should also be considered by the government of Algeria as important issues to research. The Committee recommended that Algeria improve the guarantee of healthcare for mothers before, during, and after birth. The improvement of implementation and monitoring of the Code was also an important issue discussed by the Committee.

The CRC Committee’s 60^th session ended with the review of Algeria. The concluding observations and recommendations will be published in the following week and we’ll keep you updated on the outcome.

Greece: Unfavourable Environment Leads to Extremely Low Breastfeeding Rates

Greece reported for the second time at the Committee on the Rights of the Child, on the 6^th of June 2012. 

IBFAN had submitted an extensive alternative report on the situation of infant and young child feeding in Greece. The report highlighted the many violations of the International Code of Marketing of Breast milk Substitutes (the Code) in Greece, and expressed concern over the lack of education on breastfeeding and support for mothers who wish to breastfeed.

The Committee asked many questions on health, and in particular on the situation of breastfeeding in Greece. Due to the current economic situation in Greece, many of the questions were related to financial issues, such as how the healthcare system will be affected by the new budget. 

The Committee reminded the delegation that breastfeeding is the most cost effective method of taking care of children and expressed concern with the fact that less than 10% of mothers breastfeed exclusively for the first 6 months, and only 7% continue breastfeeding up to one year. There is a lack of support in Greece for mothers who wish to breastfeed, as 89% of women expressed the intention to breastfeed prior to delivery. This can be attributed to the high rate of C-sections and the high number of free samples of formula given to mothers in hospitals. The Committee reminded Greece that it should work on methods to support mothers who wish to breastfeed and that no free samples of infant formula should be distributed in health facilities in accordance with the Code.

The IBFAN report acknowledges that there are currently no baby-friendly facilities in Greece, however two state hospitals have started the certification process and another two are due to start it. The Committee asked the delegation whether the hospitals would actually finish the certification process in order to be certified as baby-friendly institutions.

The unsatisfactory response by the Greek delegation was that the formal practice of healthcare professionals is to advocate for breastfeeding to mothers and to avoid commercial campaigns with products that are breastmilk substitutes and that the government is unaware of informal practices in hospitals. 

 2 photographs of gift-packs received by post partum women clearly showing a bottle with a rubber teat.Source: IBFAN Alternative Report.

Free gifts of breastmilk substitutes, including bottles and teats are prohibited from the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes.

Violations of the Code in Australia lead to Low Breastfeeding Rates

Australia reported for the fourth time at the CRC Committee on the 4^th and 5^th of June 2012. IBFAN had submitted an alternative report on the situation of infant and young child feeding in Australia.

The Committee members addressed issues of infant and young child feeding as part of the health topic. The Committee acknowledged the high rates of early initiation of breastfeeding in Australia, however these were followed by reports of extremely low exclusive and continued breastfeeding rates across the country. The Committee remarked that the exclusive breastfeeding rates are going down, and this can be attributed to the poor monitoring of the International Code ofMarketing of Breastmilk Substitutes (the Code), which has led to a large amount of advertisement on infant and toddler formula.

The Committee asked the government delegation many questions regarding the monitoring of the Code in Australia and how the government reacts to violations. The government mentioned the voluntary agreement with the industry peak body (INC), which restricts the advertising of infant formula (including follow-on formula but not including toddler formula or growing-up milk) to the general public by manufacturers and importers in theory. It does not apply to the activities of retailers and it does not restrict the advertising of feeding bottles and teats or complementary foods that are marketed as suitable for infants less than 6 months old. However, no information was provided on the effective implementation and monitoring of the Code in practice.

The Committee also asked if there are policies in place in Australian hospitals that promote breastfeeding in alignment with the Baby-friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI). The government did not respond to this question.

The Australian government stated that breastfeeding falls under the category of discrimination in the workplace and that it is illegal for a woman to be discriminated against for breastfeeding once she returns to work.

Turkey’s contradiction: very low early initiation of breastfeeding rates and high rates of hospitalized births

Turkey presented its combined 2^nd and 3^rd report to the Committee on the Rights of the Child on Friday 1^st June 2012. IBFAN presented an alternative report on the situation of infant and young child feeding in Turkey.

The Committee members posed many questions based on IBFAN’s report. It addressed the contradiction between the very low rates of early initiation of bf and the high rates of births taking place in a hospital facility, which reveals a lack of adequate support to breastfeeding by health care professionals.  Thus, the Committee also interrogated on the extent to which existing certified baby-friendly hospitals are being monitored and based on which indicators.

The Committee also posed questions on the measures being taken by the CRC Committee on the effective implementation and monitoring of the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes and on maternity protection measures.

JUNE 2012

 

IBFAN Calendar 2012