Replies to LegCo questions
LCQ6: Breastfeeding
Following is a question by the Hon Wong Yung-kan and a reply by the Secretary
for Food and Health, Dr York Chow, in the Legislative Council today (November
17):
Question:
It has been learnt that the Department of Health has set up a task force to
develop a Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes (the Code). In this
connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) whether the Government had conducted any studies in the past three years on
the reasons for some mothers in Hong Kong not breastfeeding their babies; if it
had, of the outcome; if not, on what basis the Government will formulate the
relevant policies for encouraging breastfeeding; of the work progress of the
aforesaid task force to date; when the trade and the public will be consulted on
the content of the Code; and
(b) whether the Code to be drawn up will regulate all marketing activities
relating to breast-milk substitutes in Hong Kong, including marketing of milk
powder products through retailers and the Internet; if it will, how the
activities will be regulated; if not, of the reasons for that and how the
effectiveness of the Code can be ensured?
Reply:
President,
Breastfeeding is an important public health issue. The World Health Organisation
(WHO) recommends breastfeeding as the way of providing the best food for the
healthy growth and development of infants. The Government has all along
endeavoured to promote, protect and support breastfeeding, and implement this
policy through the Department of Health (DH) and Hospital Authority (HA).
Healthcare professionals provide counselling service for breastfeeding mothers,
and help post-natal women acquire breastfeeding skills and tackle the problems
they may encounter during breastfeeding. Over the past 10 years, the percentage
of babies discharged from public hospitals who had been breastfed has risen from
53% in 2000 to 73% in 2009.
To provide more support to breastfeeding women, the Government has actively
promoted the provision of babycare rooms in public places. The Government's
efforts include introduction of the Advisory Guidelines on Babycare Facilities
(the Guidelines) in August 2008 for reference by government departments and
public organisations. Besides, to encourage the provision of babycare rooms in
private commercial premises, the Government has issued a Practice Note on the
Provision of Babycare Rooms in Commercial Buildings (the Practice Note) since
February 2009. Government departments and property developers have responded
favourably to the Guidelines and the Practice Note. As at October 2010, there
were some 150 babycare rooms in government properties, whereas a total of 12
shopping arcades under the management of the Urban Renewal Authority, the Link
and the Mass Transit Railway Corporation already provided or would provide
babycare rooms on their premises. In addition, babycare rooms will be provided
in a number of projects to be carried out by property developers as shown on the
plans submitted for approval by the Buildings Department as at the end of 2009.
President, our reply to the question raised by Hon Wong Yung-kan is as follows:
(a) As revealed by researches conducted by DH, local academic institutions and
non-governmental organisations (NGOs), the main reasons for mothers giving up
breastfeeding their babies include: lack of breastfeeding techniques, perception
of having not sufficient breast-milk, discomfort of having painful and engorged
breasts, need to return to work, etc. Surveys conducted by certain NGOs also
show that the percentage of local obstetricians and paediatricians who have
received breastfeeding training is on the low side and suggest that the relevant
training should be strengthened.
As mentioned above, the Government has formulated a policy to promote, protect
and support breastfeeding based on the recommendations made in the Innocenti
Declaration of WHO and United Nations Children's Fund and in light of the
findings of local researches. Healthcare professionals of DH's Maternal and
Child Health Centres (MCHC) have received formal training to provide
professional counselling services to breastfeeding mothers. Workshops have also
been conducted to equip breastfeeding working mothers with the necessary skills
to get them prepared for continuing breastfeeding after returning to work.
Besides, DH is preparing a package of training kits for obstetricians,
paediatricians, doctors working in accident and emergency departments and family
physicians so as to let them have a better understanding of the breastfeeding
policy and update them on the latest knowledge about breastfeeding coaching,
with a view to providing more effective professional support to local mothers
and babies.
With the objectives to prevent non-communicable diseases and promote community
health, the Food and Health Bureau (FHB) has earlier set up a Steering Committee
on Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases. Under this Steering
Committee, a Working Group on Diet and Physical Activity has been established to
make recommendations on matters relating to eating habits and physical activity,
and set up a Task force to develop and promulgate a Hong Kong Code of Marketing
of Breast-milk Substitutes (the Hong Kong Code). The Task force, formed in June
2010, is comprised of representatives from relevant government departments
(including FHB, DH, Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, Television and
Entertainment Licensing Authority), HA, specialist groups, Consumer Council,
NGOs, etc. The terms of reference of the Task force are as follows:
* To develop and promulgate the Hong Kong Code according to the International
Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes (the Code) of the WHO and
subsequent World Health Assembly resolutions;
* To develop a system for monitoring the compliance with the Hong Kong Code; and
* To monitor the compliance with the Hong Kong Code by the trade.
It is expected that the drafting of the Hong Kong Code will be completed by the
end of 2011. Thereafter, the Government will introduce and publicise the Hong
Kong Code to the trade and the public.
(b) The aim of the Hong Kong Code is to exercise regulation over the
manufacturers and distributors of breast-milk substitutes so as to prohibit them
from advertising and marketing their breast-milk substitutes and related
products by way of malpractice. The scope of regulation as recommended in the
WHO Code covers marketing practices for all breast-milk substitutes including
infant and baby formulas, feeding bottles, teats, baby food and related
products. Manufacturers and distributors are prohibited from promotion of their
products among the public by way of advertisement or other forms of promotion
including distribution of free samples of milk powder and coupons to mothers,
product labels, information on baby feeding, thematic talks, and activities such
as mothers' clubs and babies' clubs, etc. In addition, no words or pictures
idealising infant formulas or breast-milk substitutes are allowed on the product
labels. The Government will develop the Hong Kong Code having regard to the
details and scope of regulation recommended in the WHO Code.
At present, many countries like Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Malaysia
etc have formulated voluntary guidelines applicable in their own countries for
compliance by the trade with reference to the WHO Code. In light of the
experience of these countries, it would be more effective in the control of
undesirable marketing practices if appropriate monitoring and sanction
mechanisms are put in place in tandem with implementation of the Code. When the
Hong Kong Code comes into effect, DH will monitor the situation and canvass the
views of various parties to consider if there is a need to step up enforcement
and regulation through the Hong Kong Code.
Ends/Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Issued at HKT 16:28
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