3. THEME 2021
• Theme: Protecting Breastfeeding : Where Lies
the Responsibility?
4. ORGANIZERS
• To get its aid to the right people in the right
communities.
World
Alliance for
Breastfeeding
Action
(WABA)
World Health
Organization
UNICEF
6. WABA OBJECTIVES
Objectives
Inform people
about the
importance of
protecting
breastfeeding.
Anchor
breastfeeding
support as a vital
public health
responsibility
Engage with
individuals and
organizations
for greater
impact
Galvanize
action on
protecting
breastfeeding
to improve
public health.
7. BPNI - PURPOSES
To raise awareness
To protect
breastfeeding from the
bad marketing of baby
food/feeding- bottle
industry.
To advocate for effective
implementation and
enforcement of the IMS
Act.
8. BPNI - AIM
• Optimal infant feeding
Exclusive
breastfeeding
for the first
six months
Continued
breastfeeding
for two years
And or beyond
along with
appropriate
complementary
feeding beginning
after six months
9. BPNI RECOMMENDATIONS
Protect from the
commercial
influence of the
baby food
industry at work
places and in the
hospitals
“UNDER
ATTACK” 2021
Widespread
awareness and
effective
enforcement is
required.
The Infant Milk
Substitutes Feeding
Bottles, and Infant
Foods (Regulation of
Production, Supply and
Distribution) Act 1992,
and Amendment Act
2003, (IMS Act)
10. CURRENT SCENARIO
• The NFHS-5-phase-1 (Data from 22 States/UTs) revealed that, obviously 26.9%
children are underweight, 31.9% stunted, 18.1% wasted and 5.5% obese.
88% women deliver in
hospitals, only 51% are able
to begin breastfeeding within
an hour of birth,
61.9% breastfed exclusively
during 0-6 months
56% received timely
complementary feeds at 6-8
months and only 16.1%
received adequate diet during
6-23 months
Even as 88% of mothers deliver
in hospitals, only 51% are able
to begin breastfeeding within
one hour.
Rate of breastfeeding within
one hour has come down by 2.5-
percentage points from NFHS-4
(2015).
11. REASONS OF INAPPROPRIATE
PRACTICES
Lack of skilled
healthcare support
Commercial
promotion of
substitutes
Lack of adequate
support at work
places
Change the minds of
parents and families,
especially through
social media
influencers
Increase in the
rate of LSCS &
Lack of untrained
staff
13. CONCERNS OF BREAST
FEEDING
• Pregnancy and lactation are an especially vulnerable time for
working women
• Need
adequate time
to give birth
• To
recover
• Require special
protection to
prevent harm
• To nurse
their
children
14. • Maternity Protection is key to enable
breastfeeding and empower parents for a
successful implementation of recommended
breastfeeding practices. PAHO/WHO
recommends that countries must implement and
reinforce the International Code of Marketing of
Breast-milk Substitutes at all levels. It is vital to
ensure that breastfeeding mothers do not get
targeted by the industry, marketing or public
health professional who want to jeopardize their
breastfeeding by promoting formula-feeding.
15. THE STATE OF IMS ACT
IN INDIA
• BPNI noted 33 violations in the report Under Attack, over past 2 years, and it is just
a tip of iceberg.
• Though India has the strongest law in place to protect breastfeeding but its
compliance at the health facility and community level is not effective.
• THE STATE OF IMS ACT IN INDIA Page I 4 PROVISIONS OF THE IMS ACT
• If any person advertises the products under the scope of the IMS Act,
i.e. infant milk substitutes, feeding bottles or infant food by any means
like television, newspapers, magazines, journals, SMS, emails, radio,
pamphlets etc. International Code of Marketing for Breast milk
Substitutes
• If the manufacture or its representative distributes the products or
samples of infant milk substitutes, feeding bottles and infant foods to
any person or contacts pregnant or lactating mothers directly.
• If the manufacturer/distributor/supplier of the infant milk substitutes,
feeding bottles or infant foods gives any kind of incentives like
discounts or free gifts etc for the use or sales to anyone.
16. THE STATE OF IMS ACT
IN INDIA CONT…
• If the manufacturer/distributor/supplier distributes
information and educational material related to
promotion of infant milk substitutes, feeding
bottles and infant foods to mothers, families etc.
• If the labels of tins, cartons, accompanied leaflets
of these products carry pictures of mothers or
babies, cartoons, or graphics, phrases or any other
such images for increasing sale ability. Page I 5
• If the hospital, nursing home, chemist shop
displays placards, posters of baby food companies
for promoting their products.
17. THE STATE OF IMS ACT
IN INDIA CONT…
• If the manufacturer/distributor/supplier makes financial
inducements or gifts to health workers or to any members of
his family for the purpose of promoting the use of infant
milk substitutes, feeding bottles or infant foods
• If the manufacturer/distributor/supplier of baby foods
provides sponsorships/research grants/funding of seminar,
meetings, conferences, educational courses/fellowships/
sponsorship of health workers of their associations
• If the manufacturer/distributor/supplier of baby foods fixes
commission of employees on the basis of volume of sales of
these products.
18. BREASTFEEDING DURING
THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
• PAHO/WHO guidelines:
• Initiation of breastfeeding within one hour of
birth,
• Exclusive breastfeeding until babies are six
months old, and
• Continued breastfeeding along with nutritionally
adequate and safe complementary foods, until age
two years old or beyond.
19. BREASTFEEDING DURING
THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
• The benefits of breastfeeding and nurturing
mother-infant interaction to prevent infection
and promote health and development are
especially important when health and other
community services are themselves disrupted
or limited.
20. BREASTFEEDING DURING
THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
• Mothers and infants should be supported to
remain together,
• practice skin-to-skin contact and/or kangaroo
care whether or not they or their infants have
suspected, probable, or confirmed COVID-19
virus infection. Breastfeeding counseling,
• basic psychosocial support,
• and practical feeding support should be provided
to all pregnant women and mothers with infants
and young children.
21. BREASTFEEDING DURING
THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
• Additionally, a woman with confirmed or suspected
Covid-19 can breastfeed if they wish to do so by
following few precautions.
• According to WHO, before breastfeeding, a mother
should wash their hands for at least 20 seconds with
soap and water.
• In case of unavailability of water, one can use a hand
sanitizer with at least 60 per cent alcohol content.
• Additionally, one should always wear a mask during
any contact with the baby, including while feeding.
22. GOVERNMENTS ROLE
• Fund an annual monitoring report on IMS Act for each State.
• The FSSAI has authorised Food Safety Officers(FSO) to
monitor the compliance with this Act.
• The state governments must undertake training of FSOs and
CMOs and enforce IMS Act effectively.
• Make reporting violations mandatory for health staff.
• The Mobile App "Stanpan Suraksha" can be used. Appoint
skilled lactation counsellors in each health facility, to support
and protect breastfeeding.
• Organise sensitization seminars on IMS Act at every district.
Develop and implement an IEC campaign for the general
public in local languages.
23. HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
ROLE
Health professionals and their associations
should follow the IMS Act in letter and spirit.
Refuse to accept any sponsorships or free gifts
from the baby food companies, or their front
organizations /allies.
24. CIVIL SOCIETY
ORGANISATIONS ROLE
• Write a letter to your Health Minister to
implement IMS Act and Tweet/Post on
Facebook/Insta.
• Be a monitor, volunteer with BPNI. Report any
promotion of infant formula or feeding bottles
at any platform using "Stanpan Suraksha
Mobile APP"
• Organise seminar in your local area using
PPTs/Leaflets from BPNI Site
