UNICEF infant formula company relations

[Caroline Baum Webber]

Dear colleagues,

The following two letters are from Professor Michael Latham, Professor of
International Nutrition at Cornell, and Ted Greiner,Senior Lecturer,
International Maternal and Child Health, Uppsala University, Sweden,
regarding possible planned "partnerships" between UNICEF and pharaceutical
companies not following international codes of practice.  Please take a few
minutes to acquaint yourself with the situation.  Thank you.

Caroline Webber, MPH, RD



>>Subject: UNICEF infant formula company relations

>>Date: Tue, 06 Jun 2000 19:26:16 PDT

>>

>>Carol Bellamy

>>Executive Director

>>UNICEF

>>New York, NY 10017 USA

>>FAX number 1 212 887-7465

>>

>>Dear Ms. Bellamy,

>>

>>Recently we read in the British Medical Journal a disturbing article under

>>the heading "WHO accused of stifling debate about infant feeding." Among

>>other things this dealt with "the suggestion that the WHO is getting too

>>chummy with industry." Now we have received reliable information that UNICEF

>>headquarters is seriously considering entering into partnership with

>>pharmaceutical companies that produce infant formula and do not comply with

>>the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes in all

>>countries. Indeed, we understand that one UNICEF professional staff member

>>has already resigned over this issue, and thus take it that this is

>>factually based.

>>

>>UNICEF has so far been the bulwark of support for the Code and the BFHI and

>>worked amicably with the NGO community in this endeavor.

>>

>>We urge you to reconsider or reverse any policy which allies UNICEF with

>>corporations who manufacture infant formula and who have constantly violated

>>certain parts of the International Code in certain countries. Should UNICEF

>>enter into partnerships with these corporations, it will result in loss of

>>credibility and moral authroity, and seriously undermine the excellent

>>cooperation of UNICEF with the breastfeeding community and many NGOs.

>>

>>Sincerely,

>>

>>

>>Michael C. Latham

>>Professor of International Nutrition

>>Division of Nutritional Sciences

>>Cornell University

>>Ithace, NY, USA

>>

>>

>>Ted Greiner

>>Senior Lecturer

>>Section for International Maternal and Child Health

>>Uppsala University

>>Uppsala, Sweden

>>

>>________________________________________________________________________

>Dear Colleague

>

>You should have received a copy of a letter we sent to Carol Bellamy,

>Executive Director of UNICEF, expressing our concern about the new

>partnership UNICEF is considering forming with segments of the infant

>formula industry. We expect that this is as disturbing to you who have been

>part of the international "breastfeeding community" as it is to us and

>suspect it is even more so to those working within UNICEF. We believe that

>UNICEF management does not understand and appreciate how important such a

>decision would be and what a negative impact it would have on UNICEF

>credibility and ability to continue this excellent cooperation with the

>breastfeeding community.

>

>It is imperative now that all of us who have felt ourselves to be allies

>with UNICEF communicate to the highest Executive levels within the

>organization our grave concern in the hopes that it is not too late to

>prevent such a disasterous policy decision from being taken which could

>undermine the advances made during the past three decades.

>

>Although we have not yet discussed this with professional UNICEF staff who

>work with breastfeeding, we are copying this to them to let them know that

>we are doing this.

>

>Ted Greiner

>ted.greiner at ich.uu.se

>

>Michael Latham

>MCL6 at cornell.edu