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Statement to the WHO Executive Board, January 2003

Strategy for Child and Adolescent Health and Development
Statement by International Special Dietary Food Industries (ISDI) to the WHO Executive Board
January 20, 2003

Thank you Mr. Chairman for this opportunity to address the members of the Executive Board on behalf of International Special Dietary Food Industries (ISDI).

We give our full support to Dr. Brundtland’s remarks on the importance of child and adolescent health, made during her opening statement to the Board. ISDI places special importance on maternal and newborn health because it is well known that infants need a diet that meets their specific needs in order to grow into healthy adolescents and adults. It is therefore essential that infants and young children up to 3 years old receive nutritionally balanced food.

ISDI took an active role in the development of the Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding, which was unanimously adopted as a recommendation by the World Health Assembly in May 2002. The strategy process was marked by consensus; constructive, science-based consultations with reputable experts; and close scrutiny by the very governments sitting here today. Given the integrity of this process, we believe the recommendations in the Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding should serve as the basis for the strategy on Child and Adolescent Health and Development.

We are committed to helping and taking responsibility for implementation of the Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding. This is because, as I said earlier, if a child is malnourished in the first year, he will never make up the nutritional deficiencies during his life.

Thank you.

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