Monday 9 February 2009

One Millions Signatures to Protect Breastfeeding

Please add your signatures, and pass on and propagate in your blogs and communities.  :-)

NO MORE MILK SCANDALS
SUPPORT WOMEN TO BREASTFEED

Thousands of babies fell seriously ill in China because the milk they drank was contaminated with melamine. Some even died. These babies were not breastfed because
  • baby milk companies convinced parents that their products were better than breastmilk
  • women lacked adequate support to breastfeed their babies at the work place
  • women lacked correct information about infant feeding

Growing evidence points out how vital breastfeeding is to infant survival with health. Women are being forced to stop breastfeeding and give their babies infant milk powders because of lack of facilities and support to women to breastfeed and increasing commercial interference in infant feeding.

Potential disasters are waiting to happen across the world. 

We'll deliver our call to world leaders to implement the International Code for Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes and ensure breastfeeding friendly workplaces for women first at the Meeting of the Executive Committee of the World Health Organisation in the 3rd week of January 2009 and then at the World Health Assembly in May 2009

To world leaders: As citizens, we call for a stop to commercial interference in infant nutrition, the strict implementation of the International Code for Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes and ensuring support for women to breastfeed. We urge you to create/implement legislation that restricts infant milk manufacturers from promoting their products as breastmilk substitutes/baby foods, to have a budgeted plan of action to promote and support women for optimal breastfeeding and to ensure breastfeeding friendly workplaces with adequate nursing breaks in the public and private sector so that working women are not forced to abandon breastfeeding.

About 10 million of the world's children die every year before they reach their fifth birthday. That is, over 27,000 per day, or over 1100 per hour. Of these, over a third - more than 450 - are less than a month old. Growing evidence tells us that good breastfeeding practices can save thousands of these babies.

Unfortunately, not even half the women of the world can carry out adequate breastfeeding. 135 Million, babies are born every year. Only 64 million women can initiate timely breastfeeding. Only 48 million women can practise exclusive breastfeeding for six months.

ONE MILLION CAMPAIGN Support Women to Breastfeed gives you the chance to make your voice heard to support women to breastfeed - to make a difference. Become a vital part of the Wave of Change.

Become one of the ONE MILLION.Sign the petition now


http://www.onemillioncampaign.org/en/Details_Petitions.aspx



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