2.1 A Code History Timeline
A Little History behind the Code
1930's
- Dr. Cicely Williams (Paediatrician) was the first health professional to make a link between the promotion of breastmilk substitutes (BS), declining breastfeeding rates, and increased infant-young child malnutrition, morbidity, and mortality.
- In 1939 she addressed the Rotary club in Singapore, her speech was called Milk and Murder. Sadly it took another 50 years before governments accepted breastfeeding as a topic to be actioned.
1940-50s - After World War II
- Increased sales of infant formula, bottles, and teats.
- Misguided perception by health professionals and the public that commercial infant milk feeding was scientifically equal to human milk.
- This cultural perception that commercial infant milk feeding is modern is maintained today in many parts of the world through product marketing and promotion.
1960's
- Dr. Derrick Jelliffe – an expert in infant nutrition coined the term ‘commerciogenic malnutrition’ to describe how industry marketing practices impact infant health.
- He coined the phrase 'commerciogenic malnutrition' to refer to infant starvation caused by inappropriate promotion and use of infant formula or bottle feeding in areas with low income and poor water supplies.
1970's
- Campaigns were started to halt the unethical promotion/marketing of infant milk.
- The report Baby Killer was published by War on Wants which was translated by Bern Third World Action Group (AgDW) into German as “Nestlé tötet Babies” or in English “Nestle kills babies”.
- Nestle sued AgDW (NGO) for libel and won on a technicality.
- The judge warned Nestle to change its marketing practices and the NGO receives a token fine.
- The long-standing Nestle boycott began and continues today.
- In 1979, WHO and UNICEF held a joint international meeting on Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF).
- The meeting included representatives from the baby milk/food industry.
- Recommendations were made on IYCF.
- The most significant recommendation – There should be an International Code of Marketing of infant formula and other products used as breastmilk substitutes.
1980's
- WHO/UNICEF is charged with drafting a Code to regulate the marketing of breastmilk substitutes.
- "May 1981: After several drafts, the Code is adopted, by resolution WHA 34.22 with a roll-call vote of 118-1. After pushing for weaker recommendations rather than a binding regulation, the US was the only country to vote against the Code’s adoption. The US business sector had successfully lobbied the administration to believe that the Code would set a precedent in allowing UN agencies to interfere with business interests".
To read more about the history of the Code you can download the handout Timeline of the International Code of the Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes from the Alive and Thrive website. There are also excellent International Code resources
here.
Take the time to view this link called "Putting Babies Before Profits: The History of The Deadly Fight Against The Formula Industry." It traces the history from when Nestlé claims that its founder, Henri Nestlé, invented the world's first artificial infant food in 1867 to the 40th anniversary of the International Code in May 2021.
In the words of Halfdan Mahler (WHO DG 1973-88), ‘Without the NGOs, without their constant lobbying, reminding us of our duty as public health officers, even harassing us for months on end, without all that, there would have never been a Code. WHO would simply not have had the courage to get on with it.
Clip taken from the 1984 BBC/Baby Milk Action Film When Breast are Bad for Business.
© 1984 BBC/Baby Milk Action
The 1978 US Senate Hearing on the marketing of formula in developing countries and Senator Edward Kennedy cross-questioning Nestlé about its marketing of breastmilk substitutes in the developing world. This instigated the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes, which was adopted by the World Health Assembly in 1981. The International Code is a benchmark for good practice and is used by governments all over the world to protect infant and young child health from unethical marketing.
For more information see www.babymilkaction.org