DOH, WHO, UNICEF warn against bill amending the Milk Code

Together with two United Nations agencies, the Department of Health condemned a proposed House bill which allegedly threatens Philippine breastfeeding-supportive laws. 

 

The World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nation’s Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the DOH believe that the bill entitled “An Act Promoting a Comprehensive Program on Breastfeeding Practices and Regulating the Trade, Marketing and Promotions of Certain Foods for Infants and Children” will loosen regulation against “misleading advertisements” of infant formulas with “unfounded claims.”

 

Furthermore, in a joint statement, the U.N. agencies joined the Health department in saying that the bill benefits the milk industry over Filipino children countrywide.

 

The bill is an amalgamation of bills separately authored by Representatives Lani Mercado-Revilla, Lucy Torres-Gomez, Magtanggol Gunigundo and Rufus Rodriguez, 

 

“The draft House bill is inappropriately named and aims to support multinational companies while damaging the Filipino society: families, the mothers and children,” the Friday statement explained.

 

In the proposed bill, current provisions of the 1986 Milk Code will be relaxed, including, but not limited to allowing donations of milk substitutes during disasters and emergencies, making mothers’ lactation breaks unpaid breaks, and permitting the distribution of product samples to health centers and practitioners.

 

Also, should the bill be passed, advertising restrictions for formula milk will be relaxed. From the current total ban for advertisement for products targeting babies 0 to 36 months, the bill will only uphold the no-advertising rule for products for infants 0 to 6 months.

 

“The DOH, WHO, and UNICEF call on legislators and the public to understand how devastating the passage of the consolidated bill will be. Delayed action may turn the Philippines backwards while neighboring countries in the region are passing stricter regulations on marketing. New legislation should reduce gaps, not enlarge them. Do not allow industry profits to overpower the health of children,” the joint statement said. GMA News Online has been unable to contact the authors of the House bill as of posting time. — DVM, GMA News