Sixty-seventh World Health Assembly (WHA)
The Sixty-seventh session of the World Health Assembly (WHA) took place in Geneva during 19–24 May 2014.
State of the Code by country – announcement
Announcing ICDC’s latest State of the Code by Country (SOC 2014) Chart
International Code and WHO resolutions insufficiently enshrined in Swiss law
The Swiss Network for the Rights of the Child (Netzwerk Kinderrechte Schweiz) today presented its reports to the Committee on the Rights of the Child on the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the...
Capacity building: breastfeeding as a human right
IBFAN-GIFA contributed to the One Asia Breastfeeding Partner’s Forum in Laos on 28th – 30th October, with an orientation session on ‘Breastfeeding as a Human Right’. 22 countries from the Asian region gathered to share country perspectives as well...
Realizing the Right to Food and Nutrition
In June 2013, international social movements and civil society organizations launched the Global Network for the Right to Food and Nutrition. This is a milestone in building joint action of public interest groups to act in concert for the...
Vienna +20 CSO Conference
IBFAN-GIFA was amongst the more than 140 various civil society organizations (CSOs) around the world that gathered at the Vienna+20 CSO Conference, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the 1993 World Conference on Human Rights. The Conference...
Human Rights and Extraterritorial Obligations
Extraterritorial Obligations (ETOs) encapsulate human rights obligations of states outside of their territories. These were formulated in the 2011 Maastricht Principles on extraterritorial obligations in the area of economic, social and cultural rights. Since 2007, more than 80 human...
What do we know about the safety of powdered formulas?
Powdered formulas are not sterile and can contain harmful pathogens (read more). The 2007 WHO Guidelines for the safe preparation, storage and handling of powdered infant formula recommend a decontamination step which consists in mixing the formula powder with...
Breastfeeding Briefs # 55
Our latest issue of Breastfeeding Briefs (No. 55) was finalised in September. Written by Adriano Cattaneo, it is entitled “Infant and Young Child Feeding and Chemical Residues” and expands on the IBFAN Statement on the same issue (April 2013)....
Investing in Babies
On the 10th of December 2013, the Deputy Chairperson of the Planning Commission of India, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, launched the World Breastfeeding Costing Initiative (WBCi) Report “The Need to Invest in Babies” by IBFAN. The Report calls upon governments...
World Breastfeeding Week in Geneva
IBFAN-GIFA held a stand with information on breastfeeding, alongside La Leche League Suisse Romande, in the main hall of the university hospital maternity, in Geneva. This was the opportunity to strengthen ties with health professionals and parents, and to...
Miam La Vie – Geneva breastfeeding promotion project
The brochure “Miam la vie” 0-1 years, and 1-4 years, was released mid-2013 as part of the Geneva-based obesity prevention campaign ‘Marchez-mangez malin’ and is being distributed in Geneva by paediatricians and other health professionals. Nicely illustrated with colourful...
Country review by the Committee on the Rights of the Child
We submitted alternative reports on the situation of breastfeeding in China, Kuwait, Lithuania and Luxembourg to the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC Committee), prepared in collaboration with IBFAN groups in the countries. These countries were reviewed by the CRC Committee in September 2013 (session...
Orienting pharmacists on Breastfeeding
In October 2013, GIFA provided an orientation on “Breastfeeding, 3 key roles for pharmacists: protection, promotion and support”, to about 40 Geneva-based pharmacists. The response given by pharmacists to breastfeeding mothers facing difficulties is often critical to the successful...
Update on the World Health Organisation Reform
In October 2013, the World Health Organisation (WHO) organized an informal consultation on a framework for engagement with non-state actors. IBFAN-GIFA represented IBFAN at this meeting and together with the Democratising Global Health (DGH) coalition of NGOs, we issued...
Switzerland soon to adopt the ILO Maternity Protection Convention, C183 (2000)
Switzerland is in the process of ratifying the Maternity Protection Convention of the ILO. In order to comply with the Convention, a new text has been proposed to clarify breastfeeding breaks in a new regulation. It is hoped that...