• The children will have to breastfeed for 36 months.
• There will be a ban on substandard baby milk in shops.
• Promotion of baby milk at government level will be banned.

KARACHI: Sindh Assembly has approved Sindh Protection and Promotion of Breast Feeding and Young Child Nutrition Act 2023, under the bill children will have to breastfeed for 36 months.

The house passed The Sindh Protection and Promotion of Breast-feeding  and Young Children Nutrition Bill 2023.

“It is expedient to ensure safe and adequate nutrition for infants and young children up to the age of 36 months by promoting protecting and supporting breast- feeding, promoting healthy diets to prevent obesity and non-communicable diseases and by regulating the marketing and promotion of designated products including breast milk substitutes, and of feeding bottles, valves for feeding bottles, nipple shields, teats and pacifiers,” the preamble of the bill read.

The government would also establish with a mandate of framing regulations, advising standards of designated products, and proposing guidelines to the government to establish an effective Monitoring System as per WHO/UNICEF protocol.

In this regard, the Parliamentary Secretary Health said that there is a large number of malnourished children in Sindh, the aim is to prevent the spread of diseases with other items such as feeders because the immunity of children is reduced by powdered milk.

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Earlier, Sindh health authorities have refused to make any amendments to the draft Sindh Protection and Promotion of Breast Feeding and Young Child Nutrition Act 2023.

“Representatives of the baby food industry from multinational and local companies met Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Pechuho coupe of days ago and tried to convince her to make changes in the draft of the Sindh Protection and Promotion of Breast Feeding and Young Child Nutrition Act 2023 but she turned down their proposals.”