South African health professional associations urged to end commercial milk formula industry sponsorship
Despite the wealth of evidence about the benefits of breastfeeding, the commercial milk formula (CMF) industry continues to grow and project future profits, fuelled by aggressive and pervasive marketing practices that include the targeting of health care professionals. When health professionals and their associations accept funding from the CMF industry, this creates a conflict of interest (COI). The World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) have therefore issued clear unequivocal guidance including through World Health Assembly resolutions that health care institutions and professional associations should refuse sponsorship from the CMF industry. We urge health professionals in South Africa to heed this call to protect their professional integrity and ensure that care and support for pregnant and breastfeeding women, children and families is free from commercial influence.
Authors
- Mariatha Yazbek (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9311-5063)
- Sue Fawcus (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1818-7171)
- Sithembile Dlamini‐Nqeketo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2386-5376)
- Gilbert Tshitaudzi
- Catherine Pereira‐Kotze (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3061-6511)
- Sheila Elizabeth Clow (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5661-2722)
- Lisanne du Plessis (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0599-7500)
- Haroon Saloojee (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8298-7210)
- Nthuseni Sharon Murudi-Manganye (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2439-1504)
- Renier Coetzee (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8779-3458)
- Tanya Doherty (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1592-0080)
- Lori Lake (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1039-3819)
- Zandile Kubeka (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4624-4097)
- Silingene Joyce Ngcobo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3410-7167)
- Max Kroon (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8439-0904)
- Nomajoni Ntombela
- Nzama Mbalati
Institutions
- South African Medical Research Council (ZA)
- Western Cape Department of Health (ZA)
- University of Cape Town (ZA)
- University of the Witwatersrand (ZA)
- Stellenbosch University (ZA)
- International Baby Food Action Network (BR)
- Department of Health (ZA)
- Umkhuseli Innovation and Research Management (ZA)
- Community Health Alliance (US)
- University of Pretoria (ZA)
- University of the Western Cape (ZA)
- University of KwaZulu-Natal (ZA)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Journal of the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa
- Published
- 2025-04-04
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.4102/jcmsa.v3i1.150
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Breastfeeding Practices and Influences
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.35
Funders
- South African Medical Research Council
- Medical Research Council