Globally, 600,000 deaths among women and children each year are attributable to notbreastfeeding.Breastfeeding is often perceived as less important in high-incomecountries; however, it is no less critical for infant food security and normal health,growth, and development.Infants who are not breastfed are more vulnerable to death and disease, and this vulnerability has been highlighted during recent natural disasters,the pandemic, and the United States infant death and commercial milk formula shortage.
The Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes and subsequent World Health Assembly resolutions (the Code) is a set of recommendations adopted by the World Health Assembly (WHA) to curb the harmful marketing of commercial milk formula linked to morbidity and mortality among children.
The Code is not legally binding on its own, requiring national adoption into law and enforcement for it to be effective. A recent WHO report found that only 32 countries have legislation that substantially aligns with the Code. Australia was not among them.
Families worldwide have a right to make infant feeding decisions free from commercial influence. However, the commercial milk formula industry will not cede potential market share out of benevolence. To properly protect breastfeeding and prevent the unique vulnerability and food insecurity accompanying dependence on commercial milk formula, governments must impose legally enforceable limits on corporate marketing activity at all levels of policy and society. It has been over forty years since the WHA, including Australia, ratified the Code. Yet, Australia fails to enforce the Code at home and supports Australian companies in undermining Code legislation in neighbouring countries. It is time for Australia to correct historical inaction and end exploitative marketing at home and abroad.
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