Harnessing local jurist networks across South Asia to protect breastfeeding

Sethi, Vani; Murira, Zivai

doi:10.1136/bmj.p367

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 3 publications

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“…The region of South Asia is especially vulnerable to natural disasters and other emergencies ( 36 ). Companies capitalize on emergencies by providing donations of CMF and related products to widen markets and foster public image ( 22 , 37 , 38 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Law matters – assessment of country-level code implementation and sales of breastmilk substitutes in South Asia

Ching,

Sethi,

Nguyen

et al. 2023

Front. Public Health

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ObjectivesThis study examines the status of implementation of the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes of eight countries in the South Asia region (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka), and describes the sales value and volume of commercial milk formula (CMF) marketed as breastmilk substitutes (BMS) and baby food in four countries (Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka).DesignA mix of descriptive methods is used to assess national status of Code implementation, including a desk review of the 2022 WHO/UNICEF/IBFAN Code Status Report, systematic content analysis of national Code measures, and insights generated from the participation of key government and UNICEF/WHO actors in a regional workshop that aimed to identify each country’s barriers, gaps, and the status of Code implementation. Data on the sales value and volume of CMF and baby food between 2007 to 2021 and with the prediction to 2026 in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka were obtained from Global Data.FindingsThere are major gaps in Code implementation in countries even with legal measures considered substantially aligned with the Code, such as the inadequate age range of CMF covered in the scope, insufficient safeguards against conflicts of interest in the health system, lack of warning of risks of intrinsic contamination of powdered milk formula, and an absence of effective monitoring and enforcement mechanisms. Data on CMF sales shows health facilities and pharmacies sustain the highest sales. Lower sales volume of infant formula (including special formula), compared to other CMF such as follow-up formula and growing-up milk, has been observed in three of the four countries (Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka). Overall, GUM, followed by baby cereals, accounted for a large portion of CMF and baby foods sales in the same three countries.Recommended actions include(1) Closing the gaps between national measures and the Code, (2) Ensuring effective monitoring and enforcement mechanisms, (3) Strengthening conflicts of interest safeguards in the health system, (4) Tackling digital marketing, and (5) Galvanizing political support and support from in-country public health and women’s rights jurist networks.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Law matters – assessment of country-level code implementation and sales of breastmilk substitutes in South Asia

Ching,

Sethi,

Nguyen

et al. 2023

Front. Public Health

Self Cite

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Beyond Public Health and Private Choice: Breastfeeding, Embodiment and Public Health Ethics

Subramani

2023

ABR

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The key objective of this paper is to emphasize the importance of acknowledging breastfeeding as an embodied social practice within interventions related to breastfeeding and lactation and illustrate how this recognition holds implications for public health ethics debates. Recent scholarship has shown that breastfeeding and lactation support interventions undermine women’s autonomy. However, substantial discourse is required to determine how to align with public health goals while also recognizing the embodied experiences of breastfeeding and lactating individuals. Presently, interventions in this realm predominantly revolve around health-related messaging and the promotion of individual behaviors, often neglecting the systemic and structural factors that influence choices and practices. I closely examine breastfeeding interventions in India, in particular Mothers’ Absolute Affection health promotion program, along with breastfeeding narratives. I argue that for such interventions to evolve, they must acknowledge the intrinsic embodied social nature of breastfeeding during their design and implementation. Furthermore, it is important to emphasize that achieving equity and justice objectives necessitates moving beyond the confines of both conventional public health frameworks and frameworks solely centered on private choices. Instead, a more encompassing approach that embraces the concept of embodiment should be adopted.

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Harnessing local jurist networks across South Asia to protect breastfeeding

Cited by 2 publications

References 3 publications

Law matters – assessment of country-level code implementation and sales of breastmilk substitutes in South Asia

Law matters – assessment of country-level code implementation and sales of breastmilk substitutes in South Asia

Beyond Public Health and Private Choice: Breastfeeding, Embodiment and Public Health Ethics

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