Empowering Lactation Professionals: Leveraging the 2025 WHA Resolution to Tackle Digital Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes - Edu3A

Speaker(s): 
Lisa R. Mandell, MBA, IBCLC
Catherine Pereira-Kotze

Marketing of commercial milk formula through digital platforms now constitutes the dominant form of advertising, in many countries, which continues to undermine optimal infant and young child feeding (IYCF). During May 2025, the 78th World Health Assembly (WHA78) adopted a resolution on regulating the digital marketing of breastmilk substitutes, which strengthens and updates the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes. The International Lactation Consultants Association (ILCA), as a Non State Actor in official relations with the WHO, had representatives attending the 77th and 78th WHA, who were directly involved in global advocacy for the adoption of this resolution.

It is important that health workers, including lactation professionals, understand the relevance and utility of this resolution, including how the resolution can be used for advocacy in different countries and contexts, to ensure that the provisions of the resolution are implemented. Much advocacy is needed to support Member States to develop national regulatory mechanisms to effectively restrict harmful digital marketing of breast-milk substitutes, including adequate and efficient monitoring and enforcement. This advocacy should be done in a manner that ensures that information available to health professionals and consumers on IYCF is unbiased, objective, evidence-based and free of conflicts of interest. This session will provide information to and empowerment of health workers and lactation professionals through technical and practical support and training, so they can be part of a coordinated and consistent approach to regulating digital marketing.
"