In the Western Pacific Region, around 2100 children under five years of age die every day from common preventable and treatable conditions including diarrhoea, pneumonia and perinatal events. WHO and UNICEF have developed the Regional Child Survival Strategy that was endorsed by the WHO Regional Committee in 2005 to place child health higher on political, economic and health agendas in the Member States. The regional strategy focuses on the implementation of an essential package for child survival that includes breastfeeding as the single most effective preventive intervention.

The International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes, the Innocenti Declaration and the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) are the most significant actions supported by WHO and UNICEF to promote and protect breastfeeding. Twenty-five years after the birth of the Code and 15 years from the launching of the BFHI, breastfeeding rates and duration still need to improve. Breastfeeding rates have been on the decline in most developing countries in the Region where less than 50% of infants less than six months are exclusively breastfed. The aggressive marketing and advertising strategies of the milk industry producing infant and follow-on formula have thwarted the early and promising gains of the BFHI and made the nationally adopted measures for regulating breast-milk substitutes insufficient. Hospitals that have been certified as “baby-friendly” have often failed to strictly follow the ten steps over the long term, and a system for regular assessment needs to be incorporated into routine health service quality assurance systems. At the same time, it is increasingly recognized that women need support for breastfeeding within their own communities.

WHO and UNICEF will convene a consultation to discuss common issues and challenges related to BFHI, implementation of the International Code of Marketing of Breast‑Milk Substitutes, and to identify strategic actions that will promote a “breastfeeding culture” and discourage a "bottlefeeding culture" among mothers and the health community with full health system support.

The objectives of the consultation are to:

(1)  share successful experiences, lessons learnt and analyse constraints to improving breastfeeding;

(2)  discuss the status of the Baby-Friendly Hospital initiative and future steps needed to strengthen and sustain the initiative;

(3)  review the status of adoption and implementation of the international and national Codes of Marketing of Breast‑Milk Substitutes, and identify actions that will improve its effective implementation;

(4)  identify innovative ways to promote a breastfeeding culture and discourage a bottle-feeding culture.

• Home » 
• Programmes and special initiatives » 
• Nutrition » 
• Meetings and events