Canada voted in favour of the WHO Code when it was adopted by the World Health Assembly in 1981 (1). However, the Code has not been fully implemented or enforced through national legislation (2). As a result, aggressive marketing by formula companies continues to reach Canadian families through social media, influencers, and targeted advertising campaigns (3).
Many healthcare facilities find implementing the WHO Code challenging. Historic relationships with formula companies, loopholes in the Code, and complex scenarios within hospitals create varying degrees of difficulty for compliance (4).
Through the Baby-Friendly Initiative (BFI), facilities work to educate staff, implement institutional changes, and align practices with evidence-based infant feeding standards (5). Since BFI’s launch in 1998, this approach has led to significant progress, even though full national enforcement of the WHO Code remains lacking. We applaud all Canadian healthcare facilities working to implement the Code – see the map of Canadian facilities with BFI designation here.
Full national implementation and broader awareness of the WHO Code are essential to protect breastfeeding, support evidence-based feeding decisions, and ensure ethical marketing practices in Canada.
Add your voice in support of national implementation by signing our advocacy letter here.
