Joint Statement: Development Partners Endorse MOH action for Appropriate Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergencies

Vientiane, 18 September 2018 – “UNICEF, WHO, UNFPA, and Save the Children strongly endorse the decision taken by the Ministry of Health, Department of Health and Hygiene Promotion, to not accept donations of infant formula, breastmilk substitutes, milk products marketed for infants and young children and feeding bottles and teats. Jointly, we commend the Ministry of Health for taking such strong action to protect, promote and support breastfeeding by mothers who due to the flood emergency in Sanamxai District, Attapeu Province have been displaced from their homes and villages”.    

“The Department of Health and Hygiene Promotion (DHHP) made it very clear in their notification dated 05 September 2018, to donors, manufacturers, distributers, retailers, representatives of infant formula brands and individuals, that in accordance to the National Nutrition Strategy and Plan of Action (2016-2025), the Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn and Child Health  (RMNCH) Strategy (2016-2020) and the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes, donations and distribution of infant formula or any other breastmilk substitutes, feeding bottles and teats are not permitted”.  

“The DHHP stated that the risk of contamination of infant formula during storage and preparation is extremely high in such poor hygiene conditions and thus places the lives of Lao infants and young children in danger of illness and death. To prevent the potential deaths of infants and young children, the DHHP calls for provincial and district authorities in Attapeu to decline any donations of infant formula, follow-on formula for young children, other milk products marketed to infants and young children and feeding bottles and teats. DHHP also calls for health teams, development partners and UN who are supporting the emergency response to provide counselling and support mothers to continue breastfeeding.” 

“This notification from MOH, DHHP comes at an important time in the emergency response. Recent reports and photos captured during monitoring activities by UN staff on the ground, confirm that infant formula donations are being distributed to families living in temporary camps which not only violates the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes, it is contradictory to the National Infant and Young Child Feeding Guidelines”. 

“In such situation, UNICEF, WHO, UNFPA, and Save the Children, stands by the Ministry of Health decision to not accept donations of infant formula or other breastmilk substitutes and feeding bottles and teats. Together, we support the Government of Lao PDR to support appropriate infant and young child feeding and reiterate the caution about unnecessary use of breastmilk substitutes and other milk products”. 

“UNICEF, WHO, UNFPA, and Save the Children reiterate that no food or liquid other than breastmilk, not even water, is needed to meet an infant’s nutritional requirements during the first six months of life. After this period, infants should begin to receive a variety of foods, while breastfeeding continues up to two years of age or beyond. Children from the age of six months require nutrient-rich complementary foods in addition to breastfeeding. Provision of fortified foods or micronutrient supplements such as vitamin A or zinc in supervised programmes for young children represent a much more appropriate form of assistance than distributing milk products”.

“The valuable protection against infection that breastmilk confers is more important in environments without safe water supply and sanitation. Therefore, creation of a protective environment and provision of skilled support to breastfeeding women are essential interventions.  This is especially critical where the use of milk products prior to the emergency was low, and mothers who would usually breastfeed might needlessly start giving artificial feeds”. 

“Jointly, we commit to supporting the Government of Lao PDR to include capacity building for breastfeeding and infant and young child feeding as part of emergency preparedness in the future and as part of the disaster response already underway in Attapeu Province. We commit to supporting financial and human resources for proper and timely implementation of support for breastfeeding and infant and young child feeding in emergencies”. 

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For more information, please contact: 

UNICEF: Maria Fernandez, Chief of Communication. Email: mfernandez@unicef.org; Telephone: +856 20 55519681.