US opposes breastfeeding, threatens Ecuador
WASHINGTON: Donald Trump’s administration has threatened Ecuador with trade sanctions if it introduces a United Nations resolution to encourage breastfeeding.
The US had supposedly asked for language asking governments to “protect, promote, and support breastfeeding” to be removed.
The resolution ultimately passed but not before world health officials were shocked at the behaviour of the US delegation at the May UN World Health Assembly in Geneva, the New York Times reported.
Ecuadorians, facing having important military aid from the US rescinded on top of harsh sanctions on critical goods, backed down.
But, the US did not threaten Russia in the same manner.
An unnamed Russian delegate said the country stepped up to back and help pass the resolution because they felt “it is wrong when a big country tries to push around some very small countries, especially on an issue that is really important for the rest of the world”.
The American delegation was also opposed to another section of the resolution which called on countries to curtail promotion of products that medical experts agreed could cause harm to children, according to more than a dozen delegates to the health meeting.
The majority of them “requested anonymity because they feared retaliation from the US”, according to the newspaper.
Though US efforts were unsuccessful since the bulk of the original wording survived two whole days of procedural talks, language calling for “inappropriate promotion of foods for infants and young children” to end was removed.
It appeared, however, the US was asking to have the language removed as a sign of support for the US$70 billion (RM282 billion) infant formula industry which relies on mothers not exclusively breastfeeding.
Baby food lobbyists were in attendance as observers to the meeting.
The United States also reportedly threatened to cut its contributions to the World Health Organisation – the US contributes almost 15% of the agency’s budget or US$845 million last year – if the resolution was introduced and passed.
In light of the threat on Ecuador, other countries in Latin America and Africa refused to introduce the resolution out of fear of US retaliation, which left Russia to push it through. – The Independent