Email update : 22 September 2010

• UN Strategy for Women's and Children's Health
• Baby food company sponsorship of midwives in the UK
• Film stars wanted

UN Strategy for Women's and Children's Health

Baby Milk Action has been promoting the ONE MILLION CAMPAIGN, a rolling petition - so far signed by over 140,000 people - calling on policy makers to do more to protect, promote and support breastfeeding and to ensure there is accurate, independent information for those who use breastmilk substitutes.

The ONE MILLION CAMPAIGN has been active over the past few days as the United Nations (UN) Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, launches the Global Strategy for Women's and Children's Health at a special event during the Millennium Development Goals Summit in New York on 22nd September.

The aim of the new Global Strategy is to save the lives of 16 million women and children over the next five years, helped by a US$40 billion fund. The importance of supporting mothers to breastfeed and the role of breastfeeding in reducing illness and deaths is an integral part of the strategy. Over 3,000 people have sent messages directly to the Secretary General over the past three days calling on the UN to put some of the funding to initiatives in this area.

But breastfeeding promotion and support is not all that is needed. On the campaign blog today, our Campaigns and Networking Coordinator welcomes the Global Strategy, but remembers that protection is as important when it comes to breastfeeding and ensuring those who do use formula have accurate information. Here the problem is more to do with lack of political will than funding.

Sometimes the problem with political will is with the UN itself - for example the UN Global Compact Office, a voluntary initiative aimed at improving corporate behaviour, accepts sponsorship from Nestlé and refuses to investigate reports that the company is breaching the Global Compact's human rights principles. As the Secretary General's Office held a meeting with Nestlé and other corporations a few weeks ago to discuss the launch of the Global Strategy, it looks like we'll need to to keep a close eye on what develops - and get many more signatures on the petition.

Click here for the Campaign blog to read more.

Baby food company sponsorship of midwives in the UK

We are receiving many outraged reports from people who have seen that Danone is offering midwives grants of up to £1,000 from a fund of £20,000. This sponsorship is branded with the Danone formula name and logo, Aptamil (Danone is also behind the Nutricia, Milupa and Cow & Gate formula brands).

See Baby Milk Action's Campaign Blog for further information - including why companies should not target health workers in this way - click here.

Film stars wanted

We are looking for volunteer mothers with babies or young children (up to five years old) in the Bristol area for an educational DVD film project.

Filming will last for an hour or two and take place at the beginning of October. We will be filming mothers playing with their children at inside and outside locations. We are not filming infants being fed, just at play.

If you are interested, please contact us through our website. There is no fee, but we may be able to help with local travel expenses. Click here.

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