Updated February 2022!

This quick guide summarizes the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes (The Code) and relevant resolutions of the World Health Assembly that help protect breastfeeding around the globe.

On the Code’s 40th anniversary, we have much to celebrate, but much remains to be done. Join A&T in spreading the word that The Code protects all mothers and babies, and that we must commit to putting #BabiesBeforeProfits and  #ProtectBreastfeeding! 

Guidance documents from 33 countries on newborn care for infants whose mothers are diagnosed with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 were assessed for alignment with WHO recommendations, revealing considerable inconsistencies.

An analysis reveals that breastmilk substitutes companies are using health claims, misinformation about breastfeeding, digital marketing, and promotional tactics such as donations and services to capitalize on families’ COVID-19 fears to undermine breastfeeding and sell products.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, policy makers and practitioners must learn from mistakes made during the HIV pandemic, when breastfeeding was undermined through isolating infants from their mothers, and formula feeding resulted in more infant deaths than the disease.

Not breastfeeding leads to more than half a million child deaths annually and costs the world economy up to US$1 billion a day.