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Statement to the WHO Executive Board, January 2001

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for giving me the opportunity to address the WHO’s Executive Board on behalf of the International Association of Infant Food Manufacturers.

Through ISDI, an NGO IFM has enjoyed official relations with the WHO for 15 years. Our industry is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of infants and young children through proper nutrition, and we devote considerable resources to research and the development of suitable foods.

IFM remains committed to the scientific-process engaged in by the WHO and will continue to fully support the WHO process to develop a global strategy on infant and young child feeding. It is our belief that the Global Technical Consultation organised by WHO in conjunction with UNICEF will lead to a comprehensive strategy and plan of action for implementing sound nutritional policies for infant and young children.

We also believe that the Multicentre Growth Reference Study that is currently underway will make an invaluable contribution to evidence-based solutions and should continue before any decisions about policy changes are made.

Mr. Chairman, IFM welcomes the Executive Board’s continued endorsement of the constructive process initiated by WHO’s Director General to set the strategy and plan of action for sound nutritional policies for infants and young children for the next decade and endorses the report by the Secretariat on the Global Strategy for infant and young child feeding that was released on December 15th of last year.

The Report identifies the need to overcome the daunting challenge posed by the 1.5 million children who die every year because they are not adequately fed. And argues that the global strategy that emerges to deal with this problem must be based on science.

We look forward to participating in the development of such a global strategy on infant and young child feeding and urge member states to support the completion of the process before introducing new resolutions or strategies.

Mr. Chairman, IFM remains committed to playing a responsible and constructive role on infant and young child feeding. The means of ensuring that all infants and young children are adequately fed should continue to be the evidence-based policies adopted by WHO as the international body responsible for setting health policy. That cannot and should not be compromised. This, Mr. Chairman is the only way to achieve the optimal health of infants and young children.

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