DA milks baby adverts

2003-12-09 16:12

Cape Town - The health department's proposals to restrict advertisements for baby formula, bottles and teats are a serious infringement on freedom of speech, the Democratic Alliance said on Tuesday.

While the DA recognised the need to promote breast-milk as the best nutrition for infants, the department's draft Regulations Relating to Foodstuffs for Infants and Young Children lacked balance and common sense, the party's HIV and Aids spokesperson Mike Waters said in a statement.

"In addition to banning advertisements for infant formula and feeding gadgets, commentary about these products in the media and all industry help lines - a serious infringement on freedom of speech - the government is actually asking the manufacturers of these products to discourage their use," he said.

Besides other reasons mothers might have for not breast-feeding, the best scientific advice recommended that HIV-positive mothers should not breast-feed because, even if their baby was born HIV-negative, they could be infected through breast-feeding.

"This alone provides a sizeable market for infant formula and related products. Manufacturers should be allowed to market their products to these potential customers. The Department of Health should not encroach on the free market.

"Instead of acting like Big Brother, the government should rather ensure that mothers have the necessary information to make an informed choice, both through its own media campaign and through pre- and post-natal counselling at public health facilities."

It was not necessary to place such draconian demands and restrictions on the industry to achieve the objective of healthier infants and young children in South Africa, Waters said.

- SAPA