THE
MINISTRY OF CULTURE AND INFORMATION - THE MINISTRY OF PUBLIC HEALTH - THE
MINISTRY OF TRADE - THE VIETNAM COMMITTEE FOR CHILD PROTECTION AND CARE
-------
|
SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIET NAM
Independence - Freedom – Happiness
---------
|
No:
18-TT/LB
|
Hanoi, November 03, 1994
|
INTER-MINISTERIAL CIRCULAR
GUIDING
THE IMPLEMENTATION OF DECISION No. 307-TTg OF THE PRIME MINISTER ON THE 10TH OF
JUNE 1994 PROVIDING FOR SOME QUESTIONS RELATED TO THE TRADE IN AND USE OF
SUBSTITUTES FOR BREAST MILK IN SUPPORT OF BREAST FEEDING
Pursuant to Decision No.
307-TTg of the Prime Minister on the 10th of June 1994 providing for some
questions related to the and use of substitutes for breast milk in support of
breast feeding.
The Ministries of Public Health, Trade, Culture and Information, and the Vietnam Committee for Child Protection and Care provide the following guidance on the
implementation of the Decision:
I - GENERAL PROVISIONS:
1. The substitutes for breast
milk are milk and foods produced for children by industrial or handicraft
methods for use as full or particle substitutes for breast milk, including
products prepared from milk products, cereals, vegetable compound, fruit juice,
and different kinds of concoctions, the milk bottle and teats.
2. Those organizations which
produce, trade in, export and import substitutes for breast milk must ensure
the quality and hygienic standards of these products as stipulated by the
Ministry of Public Health.
3. Publicity and education are
an important measure for carrying out the Prime Minister's Decision No. 307-TTg
on the 10th of June 1994. The Ministry of Culture and Information, the Vietnam
Committee for Child Protection and Care, the Ministry of Public Health and the
Ministry of Trade must cooperate with the mass media, the Vietnam Women's
Union, the Vietnam Peasants' Association and other social organizations to
organize a publicity and education campaign to convince the mothers of the
superiority of breast milk and to persist in breast feeding.
4. The information and
advertisement about substitutes for breast milk must comply with the law on
information and advertisement and the stipulations of this Circular.
...
...
...
Please sign up or sign in to your Pro Membership to see English documents.
1. The Ministry of Trade will
issue a permit for the import of breast milk substitutes only after getting the
consent of the Ministry of Public Health.
2. The procedure of considering
the granting of a permit for the import of substitutes for breast milk:
a/ Any business applying for the
import of substitutes for breast milk must send a complete dossier as
stipulated by the Ministry of Trade to the Ministry of Public Health for
approval. Within 20 days after receiving the dossier, the Ministry of Public
Health must consider it and send its opinion to the Ministry of Trade (the
Permit-Issuing Bureau).
b/ Within 15 days at the latest
after receiving the dossier and the written opinion of the Ministry of Public
Health, the Ministry of Trade must consider whether or not to grant the permit.
If it refuses to grant the permit, it must give a written reply saying clearly
the reason why.
3. When a business which is
permitted to import substitutes for breast milk want to import these products,
it must send samples and the dossier of the product (as enclosed appendix) to
the Ministry of Public Health. After receiving a paper from the Ministry of
Public Health verifying that the samples meet the hygienic and safety standards
set for foods, the business concerned may come to the Permit-Issuing Bureau of
the Ministry of Trade at the locality where its Head-office is based to receive
the permit without having to go to the Ministry of Trade.
4. The items listed in the
contract for the import of substitutes for breast milk must be on the list to
which the Ministry of Public Health has given its approval and the Ministry of
Trade has granted an import permit.
III.- STIPULATIONS ON THE
INFORMATION, EDUCATION AND ADVERTISEMENT OF SUBSTITUTES FOR BREAST MILK:
1. Any trade fair or commercial
exhibition related to substitutes for breast milk organized in Vietnam must have a permit from the Ministry of Trade after getting the approval of the
Ministry of Public Health.
2. Any information program on
the protection of the health of mothers and children must give priority to the
information on the benefits of breast feeding and on the methods of nursing
babies and children.
...
...
...
Please sign up or sign in to your Pro Membership to see English documents.
4. The advertisement for
substitutes for breast milk must abide by the prescriptions at Article 4 and 5
of the Prime Minister's Decision No. 307-TTg on the 10th of June 1994.
5. The labels of substitutes for
breast milk and their advertisement should not contain any comment or picture
encouraging the trading and use of these products, or saying that these
products are as nutritious as breast milk, or can fully replace breast milk.
6. No organization or individual
is allowed to advertise or exhibit substitutes for breast milk at medical
institutions.
IV.- PROVISIONS FOR
IMPLEMENTATION:
1. The Ministry of Public
Health, the Ministry of Trade, the Ministry of Culture and Information, the
Vietnam Committee for Child Protection and Care must make known Decision
No.307-TTg and this Circular to their affiliate organizations and all
localities, and at the same time, cooperate with one another in carrying out
the stipulations concerned and increase their inspection and supervision to
ensure that breast feeding should be maintained and encouraged and that the
substitutes for breast milk should be used rationally.
2. Anyone who infringes on the
stipulations of this Circular will be disciplined, fined or investigated for
penal liability, depending on extent of the violation. If he/she causes damage,
he/she must compensate for it in accordance with law. The fine for such
infringement will be exacted in accordance with Point 3, Article 11, of the
Prime Minister's Decision No.307-TTg on the 10th of June 1994.
3. This Circular takes effect
upon the date of its signing.
While carrying out this
Circular, if there is any difficulty, please report it to the Ministries
concerned for study, modification or supplementation.
...
...
...
Please sign up or sign in to your Pro Membership to see English documents.
FOR
THE MINISTER OF CULTURE AND INFORMATION
VICE-MINISTER
Vu Khac Lien
FOR
THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC HEALTH
VICE-MINISTER
Dr. Tran Thi Trung Chien
FOR
THE MINISTER-CHARWOMAN OF THE VIETNAM
COMMITTEE FOR CHILD PROTECTION AND CARE
VICE-CHAIRMAN
Phung Ngoc Hung