The Sindh Assembly has passed the Sindh Protection and Promotion of Breastfeeding and Child Nutrition Act, a landmark legislation aimed at regulating the sale of infant formula milk.
Under the new law, formula milk can only be sold with a doctor’s prescription and must be labeled as “artificial milk.” This move comes in response to alarming statistics from the Pakistan Pediatric Association, revealing that only 48% of mothers in Pakistan breastfeed their children, while 52% rely on formula milk.
The financial burden of formula milk is also significant, costing families between Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 30,000 monthly, or Rs. 360,000 annually. This not only strains household budgets but also impacts Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves due to heavy imports of formula milk.
To enforce the law, the Sindh government has established a monitoring board comprising representatives from the Sindh Healthcare Commission and the Pakistan Pediatric Association.
Violations carry strict penalties: doctors promoting formula milk face fines up to Rs. 500,000 and six months in jail, hospitals are banned from displaying formula advertisements, and medical stores cannot sell formula without a prescription.
In emergencies, formula milk can only be used under medical supervision and for a limited duration.
