Baby-Friendly health facility adheres to the WHO Code and its subsequent relevant World Health Assembly Resolutions (WHA Resolutions).
What is the “WHO Code”?
In 1981, the World Health Assembly (WHA), part of the World Health Organization (WHO) adopted the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes as a minimum requirement to protect healthy practices with respect to infant and young child feeding by regulating the marketing of breastmilk substitutes, bottles and teats. The WHO Code bans all promotion of bottle feeding and sets out requirements for labeling and information on infant feeding.
The Code includes these ten important provisions:
- No advertising of products under the scope of the Code to the public.
- No free samples to mothers.
- No promotion of products in health care facilities, including the distribution of free supplies.
- No company representatives to advise mothers.
- No gifts or personal samples to health workers.
- No words or pictures idealizing artificial feeding, including pictures of infants on products.
- Information to health workers should be scientific and factual.
- All information on artificial feeding, including the labels, should explain the benefits of breastfeeding as well as all costs and hazards associated with artificial feeding.
- Unsuitable products, such as sweetened condensed milk, should not be promoted for babies.
- Products should be of a high quality and take account of the climatic and storage conditions of the country where they are used.