Why UNICEF's Dr Kenneth Russell is calling on a Baby Formula Ban and Jamaicans to eat Local Produce

“The code is clear. It says no marketing. Full stop. It is in violation of the code, and if you look in the newspapers, you see ways in which these manufacturers, over the years, have tried to get around it. We would want a Ban on marketing, as in advertising, of these products, as this is what is consistent with the code. They can continue to sell, but as it relates to advertising, we would prefer a complete Ban because we have to look at the bigger picture, which is producing Healthy children.”

UNICEF's (United Nations Children's Fund) Quality Education Specialist, Dr. Kenneth Russel during a Post Press Briefing with the Jamaica Gleaner after the Media forum for Infant and Young Child Feeding Principles and Practices at the PAHO (Pan American Health Organization) offices

Looks like our Toddlers’ Health is in danger from Breastfeeding formula as much as they were from our Prep and Primary school children drinking bag juice and eating cheese trix as stated in the article “Ban Advertising Of Infant Formula, UNICEF Urges Gov't”, published Friday September 20, 2013, The Jamaica  Gleaner.

UNICEF's (United Nations Children's Fund) Quality Education Specialist, Dr Kenneth Russell is calling on the GOJ (Government of Jamaica) to enforce the WHO (World Health Organization) International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes which was ratified in 1981 and stop the advertising of Breastfeeding Formulas in the Media and especially on Television. So spoke Dr. Kenneth Russel to the Jamaica Gleaner during a Post Press Briefing after the Media forum for Infant and Young Child Feeding Principles and Practices at the Pan American Health Organization offices.

Director of Nutrition in the Ministry of Health, Sharmaine Edwards, agrees and interestingly points out that Jamaica has signed to the WHO (World Health Organization) International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes as early as 1991 but we've not ratified into law, quote: “The international code was endorsed by Jamaica from as early as 1991, and so we really need to get the stakeholders engaged in some serious discussions, because it is just an agreement. Where we need to go is to implement legislation and apply sanctions”. Clearly the ball was long in the Ministry of Health’s court; we now are yet to gather the strength to play this game after having signed to WHO’s International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes!

This is an interesting coincidence as Yendi Phillipps and Emprezz Golding are the BreastFeeding Ambassadors chosen by UNICEF to promote Breastfeeding among Jamaican Women a reported in “Yendi and Emprezz share breastfeeding tips”, published Monday, September 16, 2013, The Jamaica Observer! Apparently UNICEF realized that these celebrities recently had children that were breastfed and otherwise naturally taken care of via “Mama Earth” and would thus make the perfect Celebrity Guinea-Pigs….or Ambassadors….. to promote the idea of Breastfeeding among women!

A Ban on the advertising of Breastfeeding Formulas in a bid to encourage Breastfeeding among mothers, while a good thing, may be met with opposition by some parents. This as aside from the uncomfortable nature of Breastfeeding, which involves women removing their bras in public and feeding their child, is the convenience of Breastfeeding Formulas. Breastfeeding formulas are seen as more modern and make such grand promises of increase abilities in your child at an early age that it’s easy for lactating mother to forget that they already have their own Natural milk that good for the growing baby.

In addition, a lot of these Breastfeeding formulas containing GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms) and in fact may be harmful to the baby. This is not even mentioning the presence of sugars and Proteins that may be harmful to the development of the Bay’s teeth as well as the unnatural hard plastic shape of nipple bottles, which may result in the child developing malformed teeth.

This concern is very similar to that of children wearing Disposable diapers instead of wearing Cloth diapers which are not only reusable but also have less harmful chemicals impregnated in the fabric as stated in “More Moms, Dads Prefer Stoosh Bums”, Published Monday May 20, 2013, by Nashauna Drummond, Acting Lifestyle Editor, The Jamiaca Gleaner .

Cloth diapers also save on the expenditure normally associated with the care and toddlers eventually learn to walk much faster as opined by another Jamaican Mother in 2009 in the opinion letter “Nappies better than diapers”, published Saturday May 16, 2009, The Jamiaca Gleaner . Cloth diapers are safer for the environment and upbringing of infant and help the child’s legs to grow and develop normally as noted in “Changing Dirty Diapers On Earth Day”, published Sunday April 28, 2013, The Jamiaca Gleaner.

The nutrition level of Breast Milk varies according to the level of nutrition of the mother. In addition, her personal habits such as smoking or taking drugs will affect the child both before and after birth, especially if you choose to breastfeed. Mothers may be addicted to the idea of using Breastfeeding Formulas as they don’t have to adopt Healthy eating habits and exercise, as it’s an easy preparation to make.

Thus an opportunity lies for the Ministry of Health to act yet again. They can implement a Ban on the advertising of Breastfeeding Formulas in the Media and on Television in keeping with the spirit of the WHO’s International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes just as they’d done with Smoking. In the same breath they can also implement an Unhealthy Eating Tax on Fast Food outlets that force supersized meals on patrons and provide no healthy eating options as suggested in my blog article entitled “Unhealthy Eating Tax a benefit to the Government Purse and the Public Waistline”.

Just as the Ban on smoking, this Unhealthy Eating Tax would involve Fast Food restaurants and eating establishments putting up signage to encourage persons going to the Fast Food establishments that they have a choice to take Healthier options such as Fruit Juices, whole Wheat products and meatless products such as Raw Vegetables and Fruits! If the Fast Food establishment doesn’t make them available nor doesn’t advertise them clearly, then they can be fined upon inspection by the Ministry of Health.

Additionally, the Unhealthy Eating Tax can be taken against Fast Food restaurants and eating establishments that encourage patrons to supersize their meal options without offering Healthier alternatives such as Fruit Juices, whole Wheat products and meatless products such as Raw Vegetables and Fruits. In doing so, it would encourage more restaurants to utilize Jamaican products in the Restaurants and in the process solve the problem of the underutilization of Jamaican Faming produce in our Fast Food establishments.

In doing as above, it would not only discourage mothers from using Breastfeeding Formulas but also make the entire nation be more focused on Health Eating in a bid to reduce the incidence of Lifestyle diseases and ministry of Health’s expenditure as it relates to treating and taking care of these preventable diseases which are a significant burden on Taxpayers! 

This may be a very difficult task, as many teenagers (ages 13 to 17) and Millennials (ages 18 to 28) are effectively addicted to the Fast Food lifestyle. American Fast Food outlets such as KFC, Burger King, McDonalds and Wendy’s have perpetuated this idea that American Food preparation is somehow better due to their use of Frying and Dessert options that use loads of sugar. This has resulted in Jamaicans developing a taste for Fast Food and eschewing eating Healthier Farm Fresh Food options.

There is an interesting parallel that can be drawn here with the Ministry of Agriculture. Minister of Agriculture Roger Clarke, aside from dancing up a Daggering storm, had recently solved that problem of the poor nutrition of our students at this level.

This by promoting the idea of Healthy eating among the students via providing them with Fruit Juice puree from leftover unused but still good Fruit and substituting the imported butter used in making Nutri-Bun with Egg Protein as explained in my blog article entitled “Ministry of Agriculture to approve Fruit and Liquified Eggs for School Feeding Program even as Pork faces Glut - How Solar Farming will make Jamaica's Food Security Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2”.

By so doing, he’s basically partially eliminated the possibility that the Government aided schools are contributing to the development of Lifestyle diseases in their later years such as Heart attack, Stroke, Diabetes, Obesity and to some extent Cancer. In the same breath, he’s also finding a market for unused fruits that’s unfit for export but still containing good nutritional value and excess Eggs that would otherwise be destroyed or sold on the local market at a loss to the farmers. A Win-Win for the Ministry of Agriculture, whether or not you like his Daggering Moves as stated in article “I WAS JUST HAVING FUN - Roger Clarke says after 'daggering' pic”, published September 3rd 2013, The Jamaica Star.

Just like the Prep, Primary school children, the infants and Toddlers need to be protected in a way similar to the Ban on smoking as stated in my blog article entitled “Adventists want Ban on Vehicle Pollution as Smoking Ban looms on Saturday July 15 2013 - Dr. Fenton Ferguson's Escape Plan leads”. Long before the Cigarette Ban, however, the Ministry of Health had implemented parts of the WHO Policy Framework related to Tobacco smoking and had Banned advertising on television and in the Media.

In addition, they had raised the level of Taxation on local Cigarettes to discourage people from buying them in 2012 as stated in my blog article entitled “Carerras and e-Cigarettes - THC Thanks You for Smoking The Next Big Thing”. Then the Ban finally came on Tuesday June 25^th 2013 as stated in my blog article entitled “Adventists want Ban on Vehicle Pollution as Smoking Ban looms on Saturday July 15 2013 - Dr. Fenton Ferguson's Escape Plan leads”.

However, all these actions have merely led to the Jamaicans seeking alternatives to smoking such as e-Cigarettes as described in my Geezam blog article entitled “Jamaican use of E-Cigarettes usage set to rise as CAF placed on Tobacco Products”.

Hopefully this time around any Breastfeeding formula advertising Band and a Unhealthy Eating Tax against Fast Food restaurants and eating establishments will be properly thought out and gazette in the Upper and Lower Houses and passed into law before it’s thrust upon!