International Baby Food Action Network
The International Baby Food Action Network ( IBFAN ) ( German : International Action Network for baby food ) aims to improve the health and well-being of infants and young children, their mothers and families, through the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding and optimal infant feeding. IBFAN works for the worldwide full implementation of the International Code for the Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes of the World Health Organization and the associated resolutions. IBFAN was founded on October 12, 1979.
structure
IBFAN is an international network with eight regional coordination offices for Africa, Francophone Africa, the Arab World, Europe, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, North America and Oceania (as of February 2013). Representatives of the regional offices together with representatives of groups with special tasks form the Coordinating Council (IBFAN Coordinating Council IBCoCo).
Facilities
The International Code Documentation Center (ICDC) in Penang, Malaysia, founded in 1985, collects, documents and publishes violations of the International Code on the Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes. It collects and evaluates measures for the implementation of the code in the various countries and offers training and advice on implementation.
membership
Members are over 200 nonprofit groups from over 100 countries. In Germany, the Aktiongruppe Babynahrung e. V. (AGB) and the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Freier Stillgruppen e. V. (AFS) member of IBFAN. (Status: February 2013) Conditions for membership:
- do not accept any sponsorship, donation, or sponsorship from manufacturers of infant nutrition and related products
- work actively to enforce the International Code of Commercialization of Breast Milk Substitutes and its related resolutions
- Maintain contact with the network
- support the 7 principles of IBFAN.
Principles
(As of October 2010)
- Children everywhere must have the right to the best possible health.
- Families, especially women and children, must have the right of access to adequate and nutritious food and water.
- Women have the right to breastfeed and make informed choices about the nutrition of infants and young children.
- Women have the right to full assistance to breastfeed for two years or more and to breastfeed exclusively for the first six months.
- Everyone has the right to access quality healthcare and information that is free from commercial influence.
- Health workers and consumers have the right to be protected against economic influences that could distort their judgment and decisions.
- People have the right to advocate change that protects, promotes, and supports basic health in international solidarity.
history
Breastfeeding has declined sharply worldwide over the course of the 20th century. This development has led to a significant increase in malnutrition, illness and death in infants and young children. A major factor in the decline in breastfeeding was and is the massive marketing of artificial baby foods. Derrick Jelliffe, a doctor working in Jamaica, coined the term “commercial malnutrition”. He was describing the influence of the commercialization of artificial food on the health of infants.
In 1974 the World Health Assembly (WHA) passed a resolution on the subject for the first time. This calls on the member states to "review marketing activities for baby foods and take appropriate remedial measures, including regulations for advertising and legal measures if necessary".
In 1978 Senator Edward Kennedy held a hearing on the commercialization of artificial foods in developing countries. This had a great impact on the public.
In October 1979, WHO and UNICEF hosted an international conference on infant and young child nutrition. In addition to government representatives, representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and technical experts, industry representatives also took part in the conference. The following recommendation was adopted by consensus: “There should be an international code of conduct for the marketing of baby food and other products that are used as breast milk substitutes.” At the end of this conference, the representatives of six NGOs joined the International Baby Food Action Network IBFAN). They wanted to monitor the worldwide marketing activities and share and publish the collected information.
In 1981, the WHA passed the International Code for the Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes, with the significant participation of IBFAN.
Since then, the WHA has been reporting on infant nutrition every two years. In most cases, further resolutions are then passed, which together with the resolution of 1981 form an overall package.
IBFAN is regularly and intensively involved in these negotiations. The individual IBFAN groups advocate measures to protect breastfeeding against the economic interests of the baby food industry at regional level.
Awards
- 1998 Alternative Nobel Prize ( Right Livelihood Award )