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Nippon Shouhisha Shinbun


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Consumers International emphasized importance of breastfeeding in emergency situations


It launched Tsunami Fund for collection of contributions to support their colleagues


By JCPRESS

Consumers International (CI), a federation of consumer organizations dedicated to the protection and promotion of consumers' rights worldwide, announced "Statement:Responding to health aspects in crisis" about the tsunami relief efforts of the Sumatra coast large earthquake and the Indian Ocean Tsunami in World Health Organization (WHO) board of directors held in Geneva in Switzerland on January 17. And, CI clarified that it launched the Tsunami Fund for collection of contributions to support their colleagues in the statement.

Lida Lhotska from IBFAN, the International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN) that read the statement on behalf of described, "Breastfeeding is particularly important in emergency situations because of alleviated risks of diarrhea and other infections in artificially fed infants".

And, Lida Lhotska said that we call on WHO Member States to ensure that protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding are integral part of their policies and programming for crisis preparedness, response and recovery.

Julian Edwards, director general of CI, and Marilena Lazzarini, President of CI, sent on January 11 the member group a mail to have set up a special bank account in the National Westminster bank in London for donations as Tsunami Fund before WTO board of directors. The mail said also it is possible to send a cheque to CI's London office made payable to Consumers International.