An independent United Nations rights expert denounced a campaign by Filipino milk companies to promote breast-milk substitutes for manipulating UN data to protect their huge profits regardless of the interest of a country where 16,000 children under 5 died in 2003 from improper feeding practices including infant formula.
UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food Jean Ziegler also voiced disappointment at ?the irresponsible and unethical behaviour of some medical practitioners and organizations, which have lent themselves to support these companies? selfish interest.?
In a statement issued in Geneva, Mr. Ziegler charged that the current media campaign supporting substitutes, organized by the Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines (PHAP), manipulated data emanating from UN specialized agencies such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and UN Children?s Fund (UNICEF) as well as the Filipino Department of Health.
?The aggressive marketing practices by milk companies contribute to misleading the public by claiming that breastfeeding can not be done by a majority of women and that their products raise healthy, smart and happy babies,? he said.
WHO promotes breastfeeding as ?an unequalled way of providing ideal food? for the healthy growth and development of infants, with exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months being ?the optimal way.? Thereafter infants should receive complementary foods with continued breastfeeding up to 2 years of age or beyond. UNICEF and WHO also warn of the dangers of contaminated water being used with infant formula.