By golly. The US embassy lobbied against a breastfeeding campaign in the Philippines and blocked revisions in the Philippine Milk Code’s Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRRs). “The IRRs would ultimately harm the consumer by denying information. It will also damage the milk industry and negatively affect employment.”
How is the milk industry more important than kids dying of diarrhoea? Diarrhoea they wouldn’t have if they weren’t being fed formula made up with dirty water?
What we find in this cable is that the powers that be in the Philippines drafted revisions to their Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRRs) of the Milk Code which regulate the advertising of milk formula for infants. These revisions were based on recommendations of the International Labor Organization Maternity Protection Convention 183 and the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes, as well as the UNICEF’s Global Strategy on Infant and Young Child Feeding. An earlier draft had included more controversial clauses including prohibiting the use of brand names and company logos on milk replacement products for use with infants over three years of age and a requirement for prescriptions for infant formula products. These clauses had already been removed before the meeting between the US embassy and the Department of Health in the Philippines.
Department of Health (DOH) Undersecretary Alex Padilla justified the revisions to then US Chargé d’Affaires and later Deputy Chief of Mission Paul Jones during a meeting on December 12, 2005. He said that since 1987, breastfeeding rates have declined significantly and now only 16 percent of mothers now exclusively breastfeed their infants up to six months of age. He argued that during this period of decline in breastfeeding, infant formula sales have increased dramatically. Padilla added that the Philippines has a high mortality rate for children under five years of age and that diarrhea is a significant cause of death for this group. He singled out infant formula as a major cause of diarrhoea.
Mr Jones dismissed the justifications in the cable by saying that Mr Padilla’s information is unsubstantiated. He also said that the revisions have been made due to pressure from an influential breastfeeding lobby group and then that “industry says that data is wrong on formula”. Industry is concerned that the IRR seeks to prohibit rather than regulate, that it infringes on intellectual property and that it defines an infant as a child under 3 years of age which exceeds international standards. They also say that infant formula only has a penetration rate of 9% and that poorer people use watered down condensed milk and rice water rather than formula.
Insert eye roll here.
Why even entertain the the thought that you can trust industry data over UNICEF data?
And even IF their 9% penetration rate is accurate (pfft), no one expects this one measure alone to boost breastfeeding rates and reduce the number of kids dying of preventable diarrhoea. It doesn’t mean that formula manufactures should be enabled to market formula as a just as good as breastfeeding substitute. It doesn’t mean we should stand aside and let them lead a mother to believe that formula is safe in a country where clean water is not accessible by everyone. Formula is something that should be used to keep babies alive when the better option is not available. I would hope and assume that this revision is part of a wider strategy to improve breastfeeding rates and reduce infant mortality. A part of a solution that is most definitely not- in the words of Mr Jones “barking up the wrong tree”.
Of course this is just about the pharmaceutical industry not wanting their marketing efforts further complicated. As if it’s about anything more than money.
My burning question is why does the US get a say in policy decisions made by the Department of Health in the Philippines?
What you think?
“They also say that infant formula only has a penetration rate of 9% and that poorer people use watered down condensed milk and rice water rather than formula.”
I wonder why they do this. MAYBE, just maybe, it is because the mothers were persuaded to use formula by the disgusting ads they have over there (anyone here seen Formula for Disaster?) then found they could not cope with the price so then had to use a cheaper alternative?
There is not a doubt in my mind that you are right. It’s just bizarre that this can be seen as a justification for stopping the revisions rather than an indication of desperate need for them.
I’ve not seen Formula for Disaster but now I’m going to hunt it down. Thanks!
This is shocking news and very, very disappointing. Thank you so much for taking the time to share this. Where is the DCM (Paul Jones) now? He needs to hear from us over in the United States about his ill-informed decisions–and needs to be educated to not make the same stupid mistake.
According to his WIki page, he is now the US ambassador to Malaysia. Another country that loses babies nnecessarily to preventable gastrointestinal infections.
Here is his webpage http://malaysia.usembassy.gov/ambassador.html
There is a contact link on the page. I might write an educational email myself. Great idea.
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Industry interfering is bad enough, but international governmental bodies? Would they tell their own mothers in the US via the DoH to do the same thing? Now that would be interesting to know.
Breast feeding may not be for everyone, but it is certainly the most sterile, affordable and generally, easily prepared option for Mums. In under privileged areas, it should be the first choice.
To interfere in public policy in another country that is trying to look after it’s people is really astounding.
I’m sadly not surprised.
Sadly, neither am I.
From the cable:
He singled out infant formula, as a “major
cause of diarrhea” or a significant contributing factor.
Padilla could not identify studies that support these
statements but promised to provide the Embassy with
additional information and data. (Note: Poor water
filtration is a more likely cause of diarrhea. End Note.)
Umm…what do they think formula is made up from? Perhaps that poorly filtered water? And where is their ‘supporting data’ for this note? Has no-one told them that formula is made up with whatever water is at hand?
It disgusts me the way that these people put profits over life. They are so out of touch with the realities of life for people in another country and so arrogant to think they should have some say in it, for the sake of protecting the profits of a company from their own country. To seek data and advice from the businesses themselves is like asking a criminal to decide if he is guilty or not, and what his punishment should be.
I find the US political/business balance so strange. The government seems to be run for the benefit of businesses, not for the people.
“The government seems to be run for the benefit of the businesses, not the people.”
This! Exactly!
Formula for Disaster is on YouTube.
Shocking, but when mass marketing of artificial baby milk is unregulated and the might of multinational companies can easily threaten to pull out their investments and bring it to some other developing country, Philippine Government can be so willing to bow down to a developed country’s demands.
Watch the doco and you’ll get an idea and may even answer your questions.
actually, the government didn’t bow down to the demands and we have the laws to protect breastfeeding rights. implementation and policing is a major problem though
hello! I’m from the philippines and yes, the American Chamber of Commerce did write our then Philippine President protesting the implementing rules at the behest of the giant formula milk companies who are ALL US companies. http://www.gmanews.tv/story/47082/nation/doh-urges-5-lady-justices-to-uphold-milk-code-irr HOWEVER, i am happy to say that our Supreme Court ruled in favor of the the Revised implementing Rules except for the total ban on advertising. You can read about the current status of our law here – http://www.chroniclesofanursingmom.com/2011/02/understanding-milk-code.html.
Plus we have a recent law on the expanded breastfeeding promotion act with the implementing rules already passed and which mandates the implementation of lactation rooms and policy in all public and private establishments. we are now working on the implementation of the policy/rooms in ALL establishments.
our major problem is actually the blatant violations of milk companies and lack of resources to police and report them.