Stop unethical infant formula research on babies! IBFAN is calling for an immediate halt to a new study funded by the Gates Foundation and led by researchers from the University of California. The study is randomly allocating infant formula to low-birth-weight babies in Uganda and Guinea-Bissau on the pretext that this might prevent wasting and stunting.

This unethical study is being conducted in Africa where annually over 330,000 babies die as a result of inappropriate feeding and brings the #BlackLivesMatter movement to the forefront. IBFAN is appalled and fearful that Abbott, an American pharmaceutical corporation operating in 160 countries may use the findings to expand the formula market in low resources countries. Abbott is currently at the centre of a media storm in the USA because of contamination of its powdered formula and is facing a lawsuit over the death of a child and failing to adequately warn of risks of formula feeding. It might be wary of running this study at home.