Indiscriminate sale, use of substitutes for mother’s milk must stop: Dr. Achakzai

Islamabad: The role of healthcare providers in prescribing and promoting indiscriminate sale and use of breast milk substitutes or formula milk, which is a major threat to the life and wellbeing of young children in Pakistan, needs to be seriously looked into. The civil society and parliamentarians must work hard for implementation of the International Code of Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes 1981 and take all possible measures to protect and promote breastfeeding under all circumstances.

The National Manager of the AIDS Control Programme Dr. Baseer Khan Achakzai made these observations while addressing a seminar on breastfeeding here Monday.

Dr. Achakzai also urged development partners, media and healthcare community to join hands for restoration of the right of breastfeeding for children in Pakistan. “As far as the government is concerned, we will take all possible measures to enforce BMS code and breastfeeding ordinance with visible action against all responsible,” he committed.

Dr. Achakzai termed breastfeeding as one of the most important rights of young children, given that it guarantees their survival and wellbeing throughout life. Appropriate feeding practices are essential for the nutritional status, growth, development and survival of infants and young children. Infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life, and thereafter should receive nutritionally adequate and safe complementary foods while breastfeeding continues up to two years and beyond. This is also stressed in the holy Quran.

Dr. Baseer said, the World Health Assembly has also set targets to improve breastfeeding and the government has committed itself to adhering to the global targets decided upon at the 69th World Health Assembly.

In 2002, legislation for protection and promotion of breastfeeding was made through the Protection of Breastfeeding and Child Nutrition Ordinance 2002, and in 2009, breastfeeding rules were also formulated. However, the enforcement of these rules still remains a challenge. It is heartening to see that the federal and provincial infant feeding boards are active now and that the Infant and Young Child Feeding Strategy 2016 has also been approved. However, many gaps are yet to be overcome.