GKIA Recommendations for Indonesia Ministry of Health

at World Health Assembly 2016

Press Release

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Gerakan Kesehatan Ibu dan Anak (GKIA) supports the Government of Indonesia (GoI) to continue its efforts in protecting, promoting and supporting breastfeeding as an important part of Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) national programs. The GoI has been on track in establishing policies and regulations on the breastfeeding issue, however law enforcement remains a big challenge both at national and local levels. We hereby recommend five following points to be brought and sounded by Ministry of Health (MoH) at the upcoming World Health Assembly at Geneva on May 23-28, 2016 which are in line with the seven recommendations from WHO Draft Guidance on Ending the Inappropriate Promotion of Foods for Infants and Young Children (EB138/8):

1. The  GoI supports the strengthening of best approach IYCF (the gold standard), especially the correct understanding and practice of Early Initiation of Breastfeeding; the optimizing of 6 months Exclusive Breastfeeding and its continuation up to two years or beyond; and the proper, indigenous & seasonal based complementary feeding according to age, frequency, texture portion, and variation of food (related with Recommendation 1).

2. The GoI supports the establishment, monitoring and enforcement of policies and regulations on the marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes (BMS) according to the minimum requirements or even beyond International Code of BMS Marketing to all commercially produced foods up to the age of 3 years and its relevant WHA's resolutions (related with Recommendation 2).

3. The GoI supports the development of stronger regulations on food industries promotion that idealizing their products as the best food for infants and young children through commercial messages, events and/or other marketing media both online and offline (related with Recommendation 3-4-5-7).

4. The GoI supports the strengthening of regulations on donations and sponsors from manufactures or distributors of foods and beverages (including bottles and teats) for any programs that are potentially doubled up with conflict of interest, both at the government bodies and other development partners including NGOs, health professional relevant organizations, health education institutions, health service facilities, media and creative industries, etc in both emergency and normal situation (related with Recommendation 6).

5. The GoI supports the development and implementation of coordination, monitoring and evaluation system on IYCF that involving civil society using both local level and up to date Information and Communication Technology (ICT) at global, national and local levels to ending the inappropriate promotion of foods for infants and young children (related with Recommendation 6).

A better protection, promotion and supports on breastfeeding and IYCF from governments both at global, national and local levels with cooperation with civil societies and free of conflict of interest private companies will create stronger enabling environment in improving proper IYCF practices at household levels and will significantly increase nutritional status of children for their better future.

The GKIA Recommendations for Indonesia Ministry of Health at The World Health Assembly 2016 are supported by:

1. AIMI
2. CHILDFUND
3. IKMI
4. FOBKIA
5. ISLAMIC RELIEF
6. MUHAMMADIYAH
7. PELKESI
8. PKBI
9. PERINASIA
10. SAVE THE CHILDREN
11. SELASI
12. WVI
13. YAYASAN ORANG TUA PEDULI