For those mothers who do use substitutes, the aim of the WHO Code is to "ensure the proper use of breast-milk substitutes, when these are necessary, through adequate information". However, focusing on the marketing of formula is only a small part of what needs to be done, because infant mortality is actually highest in developing countries where infant formula consumption is low. In these countries, breastfeeding women typically give other foods or liquids to their babies at an early age and complementary food practices are often poor.

There are already some promising models of inexpensive education programs that, if implemented on a broad scale, could greatly improve infant feeding practices.

In Bangladesh, for example, breastfeeding is nearly universal, yet infant mortality is among the highest in the world, partially due to mothers giving water or traditional foods to their infants at too early an age. Infant formula use is very low. A project described in the medical journal The Lancet1 showed how exclusive breastfeeding rates in Bangladesh were dramatically increased through a low-cost education programme using village peer counsellors who had been given two weeks of training.

Through this program, conducted by the London School of Tropical Medicine, exclusive breastfeeding at 5 months of age was increased from 6% to 70%.

As clarified in this document, the WHO's call to save the lives of 1.5 million babies referred to the potential effects of such education programmes promoting exclusive breastfeeding during the first 6 months of life, and partial breastfeeding for as long as possible. Because infant mortality is actually highest after 6 months of age, efforts to improve complementary feeding practices - introducing more nutritious foods prepared in a more hygienic way - are equally important.

Nestlé takes very seriously its responsibility for marketing infant formula appropriately. However, it is counter to the interest of children to allow a controversy about the marketing of breast-milk substitutes to divert attention from the realities of infant feeding and from what really can be done to make major improvements in child health and mortality. Tackling the root problem, proactive educational efforts about proper infant feeding are among the solutions that offer the most hope in improving infant health.