Aid agencies in Laos refuse to apply for funding from Nestle

ChildFund Laos has joined a group of more than 20 aid and development agencies working in Laos who are refusing to apply for a development prize funded by Nestle. The aid agencies sent a letter to Nestle on 24 May 2011, decrying the company's violations of the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes . The letter states: "Unethical marketing by food companies, including Nestle, contributes to the situation of high infant and child mortality in Laos. "Babies and children are dying in Laos because food companies such as Nestle are weakening national regulatory frameworks and aggressively flooding the market with information that dilutes public health campaigns that promote breastfeeding." ChildFund Laos country manager Chris Mastaglio says: "The communities in which we work face high levels of child sickness and mortality, and it has been positive to see so many organisations in Laos come together around this important issue. It is critical that all sectors, including the private sector, are held up to the highest standards of accountability, even more so when the lives of children are potentially at risk."