Islamabad: Only 20 percent of newborns in Pakistan are breastfed within the first hour of birth, as aggressive marketing of infant formula has fuelled a market worth more than Rs110 billion annually, raising serious concerns about infant health and survival, parliamentarians and health experts were told on Tuesday.
The issue was discussed at a high level dialogue held at the Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services (PIPS), Islamabad, where lawmakers, senior health officials and nutrition specialists called for urgent enforcement of laws regulating breastmilk substitutes and stronger protection of breastfeeding practices.
Participants were told that early initiation of breastfeeding remains critically low, with just one in five newborns receiving breastmilk within the first hour of life, while exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months stands at 48 percent. Experts said these feeding gaps contribute to a stunting rate of 38 percent among children under five and more than 33,000 preventable child deaths every year.
The dialogue on strengthening the legislative framework for nutrition and early childhood development was organized in partnership with the Health Services Academy and UNICEF, focusing on weak implementation of breastfeeding laws despite strong evidence of their lifesaving impact.
State Minister for Health Dr Mukhtar Ahmad Malik said optimal breastfeeding was among the most powerful health interventions available, describing it as not only a health issue but also a strategic investment in Pakistan’s human capital, economic growth and child survival.
Participants reviewed Pakistan’s existing legal framework, including adoption of the International Code on Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes and provincial legislation in Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Balochistan. However, weak enforcement, limited inspection capacity and sustained lobbying by the formula milk industry were identified as major barriers.
Health Services Academy Vice Chancellor Dr Shahzad Ali Khan said that while laws existed, the absence of functional infant feeding boards, adequate budgets and accountability mechanisms had undermined their impact.
UNICEF Deputy Country Representative Sharmeela Rasool said protecting breastfeeding required coordinated action across sectors, including workplace support for mothers and efforts to tackle misinformation that undermines child health, growth and development.
Parliamentarians attending the dialogue committed to strengthening legislation, oversight and political leadership to protect breastfeeding and early childhood nutrition.
A joint statement reaffirming Parliament’s constitutional role in addressing enforcement gaps and strengthening legal coherence to improve child nutrition outcomes across Pakistan was also issued on the occasion.
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