BREASTFEEDING CONSULTATIVE MEETING FEEDBACK - TRACK 4 23 AUGUST 2011

Creating an enabling environment for breastfeeding including in the workplace and through regulation of marketing of breastmilk substitutes

OBJECTIVE 3 Develop recommendations on what needs to be done to address these issues in terms of regulations, policies and / or incentives, namely:

To provide women in paid employment with an environment that enables them to combine their economic and maternal responsibilities, including breastfeeding Role players in employment (private) sector to be involved in this process Legal framework strengthened with regards to maternity benefits – Including a monitoring / regulatory body and allowing for complaints / reporting of transgression – Current bodies, e.g. Consumer protection, SABS Facilities for breastfeeding, child care, milk expression and storage

Extension / harmonising of paid maternity leave up to 6 months and review the provisions of this recommendation Inclusion of informal sector with regards to maternity protection Labour ministry involvement on maternity protection (legislation) Employer/government/workers partnership (Tri-partite) Community involvement (NEDLAC)

To protect parents from the unethical and aggressive promotion of artificial feeding and ensure that they can make an informed choice about infant feeding on the basis of scientific, unbiased information – Clear legislation regarding labelling and promotion of replacement products (e.g. breastmilk messages on a tin of formula could create impression that the tin contains breastmilk) – Parallel in other legislation, e.g regulating of tobacco product with compulsory health warnings – Communicate the risk of not breastfeeding to community/public

Involvement of regulatory bodies for health professionals, such as the HPCSA; as well as professional association Ban on promotion of breastmilk substitutes Promotion of breastfeeding – ‘branding’ of breastmilk Strengthening regulatory component at different levels in government – clear roles, responsibilities and strengthened capacity Alignment of policies within government, e.g. PMTCT, Nutrition, Child Health, Maternity Leave Mainstreaming promotion of breastfeeding in education curricula Evidence based policies and recommendations, guided by international practice, as established by WHA Exclusion of breastmilk substitute manufacturers from taking part in policy making

Objective 4 Identify key stakeholders and clarify their roles and responsibilities in the adoption and implementation of the necessary regulatory or policy frameworks emerging from Objective 3, with a time line for the effective adoption and implementation of those frameworks

REQUIREMENTSTAKEHOLDERTIMEFRAME Legislation -Labelling -Marketing - National government - Political leadership - Ratification of ILO Convention 183 of 2000 and ILO recommendation 191 Draft published 2011 Final draft mid-2012 Regulation / monitoring / enforcement - Regulatory body: HPCSA - Consumer protection council - South African Bureau of Standards of the DTI - Advertising regulatory authority - Provincial and local government - Professional associations - International partners (UNICEF, IBFAN) On finalisation of legislation

REQUIREMENTSTAKEHOLDERTIMEFRAME Implementation- Government departments (DoH, DoE, DARDLA, DSD, DPSA) - Professional associations - Labour / trade unions - Industry / business partners On finalisation of legislation Promotion of breastfeeding -Government departments - Political leaders - Women’s sector, child sector - Health professionals - Breastfeeding counsellors - Community Health Workers - Traditional health practitioners - Traditional leaders - Religious / faith based organisations - Community structures - Medical aid schemes Immediate

Phambili Ngobisi Lwebele Phambili!