Getting nuclear-bomb fuel out of radiopharmaceuticals.

www.thelancet.com Vol 371 March 8, 2008 795 Aggressive marketing practices for breastmilk substitutes have been blamed for the decline of breastfeeding in the Philippines, where only 16·1% of Filipino infants aged 4–5 months are exclusively breastfed, half stop exclusive breastfeeding by the third week of life, and 13% are never breastfed (the lowest ever-breastfed rates in 56 countries). The Department of Health estimates that total annual purchases of infant-formula amounted to US$420 million. Nearly $100 million is spent annually on the advertising of breastmilk substitutes, which is about half the annual budget for the Department of Health. There have been suspicions that violations of the Milk Code have occurred in the past with over-zealous sales techniques. Mothers receive various gifts and are targeted to attend classes where infant-formula milk is promoted. Orders have been made by the Department of Health to compel certain companies to cease unauthorised promotions. The Supreme Court’s ruling gives a fresh mandate and greater power to the Government’s regulatory agency to check the industry’s practices that undermine breastfeeding and subvert the public-health system. But much remains to be done and the struggle goes on to restore the culture of breastfeeding in the Philippines.