This article in the Guardian is worth a read.......it says Nestle, the G8 and the USA single-handedly destroying the Philippines future

[VeniVidiVickiQV]

here

Did I say Nestle? I meant formula companies. But Nestle are by far the biggest culprit.

Think its disgusting some of the formula companies practices and makes me feel sick. Cant believe that so many innocent children are dying out of greed

That doesn't surprise me. The situation re advertising was the same in Indonesia, you couldn't move for formula adverts.

But here in Nigeria, I've yet to see an advert for formula. I've no idea why that is, whether the formula companies don't think it's worth advertising here (although N*** has a presence here) which seems unlikely, or whether Nigeria has passed a law making it illegal.

I find it really scary, the amount of political clout that pharmaceutical and chemical companies have in the west, and just how easily governments cave in to their strong arm tactics.

suedonim....the philippines are trying to make it illegal but the US is lobbying against it

Let's hope they get the order lifted.

Yes, I saw that, VVV. I'm just wondering why Nigeria doesn't seem to have any advertising and if they've managed to draft a law that the US has accepted.

there is a petition on www.babymilkaction.org which you can sign.

this is the sort of thing that imperialism is made of.

twist the arm of a 3rd world gov't to force its population to buy crap from the 1st world.

Whats nigeria's biggest export suedonim?

It scares me how little we (humans I mean) value life...so many dying needlessly in order to line the pockets of people who are already rich!!!!

I know a no. of African countries have the WHO code as law - maybe Nigeria is one of them.

from www.waba.org.my/wbw/wbw94/folder94.htm

Studies in Guatemala showed a rapidly declining breastfeeding rate. Without control over the use, promotion and marketing of breastmilk substitues, parents and health workers were exposed to advertising campaigns that undermined the effectiveness of any breastfeeding promotion.

In 1982, the Guatemalan National Commission for the Promotion of Breastfeeding (CONAPLAM) and the Health Ministry's legal department developed a proposal for a Law for the Marketing of Breastmilk Subsitutes, based on the International Code. The Law was adopted in 1983 and enforced in 1986. Guatemala became the first Latin American country to regulate the promotion of breastmilk substitutes and other supplementary foods for infants. A full-time professional in the Ministry of Health was given responsibility for enforcing the Law.

Together with other measures to protect, promote and support breastfeeding, the Law had led to a near doubling of the breastfeeding rate in urban areas.

Many other countries have also taken steps to put the provisions of the Code into practice. In particular, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Mexico, India, Kenya, Nepal, Nigeria, Peru and the Philippines have introduced the
whole Code as national legislation.

but we know that the case in the Philippines is still out

i read that on his blog today... absolutely chilling. it's the board meetings that get me, the ones where they surely must have all those dead babies on their consciences.

consciences?

kiskidee - when I was in Guatemala in 1993 and 1999 we saw Nestle employees dressed as nurses in Clinics and Supermarkets in Guatemala City, promoting formula milk.

TBH, anything Guatemala did in 1982 when it was in the throes of ethnic cleansing, has to be viewed as suspect.

A can of formula milk on the shelf of a supermarket in Guate in 2005 (when I was last there) cost the equivalent of a weeks wages for a poor rural or slum dwelling urban family.

Scarey!

How naive did I sound last night

Must have needed my bed, don't worry it won't happen again!!!

bump

chilledmama - what you said last night was very true. It is shocking.

Have signed petition on

WWW.babymilkaction.org

bump

Thanks for that info, KK. I'm glad Nigeria has managed to pass an effective law.

VVV, oil is Nigeria's main export.

i know guatemala fairly well too harrisey and know what you mean what with the then evangelical preacher come president, Efrian Rios Montt who was whole heartedly backed by the US for his right wing agenda. He stated that would pacify the countryside if even if it meant killing all the people in it.

I have seen quite a few examples of the 'help' that comes in the form of missionaries and 'education' out there.

back in '82 though, a 'little' law like the WHO code was unimportant not as important to the US lobby when they were more fearful of El Salvador and Nicaragua going red at America's back door.

sorry for my commie politics hijack.

I totally agree with your commie politics hijack! I am right with you . Rioss Montt was a monster.

The thing is that little law hasnt really been enforced, understandably given the circumstances. So even 2 years ago baby milk advertising was everywhere in both the Zacapa area and also in Antigua, Pana, Chichicastenango, Xela (I had the fortune not to spend any time in the City on that visit).

You cant hold Guate up as an example of good practice when the law is being totally flouted. But surely education is a good thing? = dont quite get your reference there, unless it is suppoed to apply to me personally?

alot of laws get enacted andnever enforced and we dont have to go far for examples as you know. i think the link was only stating the countries which made the who code into law and wasn't suggesting anything else.

the 'education' referrence was aimed at some of the lies that poor people get told in 3rd world countries. i know one case where 'missionaries' were telling Peteneros that using birth control would make them sterile.

I just wish countries had the resources to implement these laws! Guatemala has also igned in to Law the International declaration of Human Rights - and I dont see that happening either, unfortuately.

I'm sorry I 'bristled' at your comment about education and missionaries. Its just that my family are planning to move to Guatemala in about 18 months time to work - my dh to set up a travelling health clinic in an area that has little healthcare, and me to work in education! And as we are doing it with the support of our church, and through a fabulous church project out there (that would never ever do the kind of things you talk about), I took it personally. We are doing development work and will never use the label 'missionary' as there are so many terribly negative connotations! I apologise for that - there's pretty much no reason why you would know that about me.
How do you know Guate well? You dont meet many people who know much about it, and we love it so much!!

wow, no, i wouldn't come to mn to insult people when i have enough of them in rl i could insult instead!

which area in guate are you going to? i used to work as an archaeological and natural history guide in that part of the world once, in another life. i lived in Belize for the majority of my life so we always keep an ear pricked onto what goes on in Guate. Rios Mont gives me the heebie jeebies. I can't believe he was actually a presidential candidate a couple yrs ago. the man should be charged with crimes against humanity.

i don't have anything against religion, per se. just small minded religion if you get an idea of what i mean.

Before you go out there, try to get your hand on a book called Bird of Life, Bird of Death. It is a fascinating insight into that era. I think it is out of print but i got my copy used on Amazon.