Islamabad: Developing countries must urgently strengthen their breastfeeding laws, workplace protections, and medical training systems to save infant lives, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned, saying millions of preventable infant deaths and billions in lost productivity stem from weak national policies and the commercial exploitation of mothers by formula manufacturers.
In its newly released Infant and Young Child Feeding: Model Chapter for Medical Students and Allied Health Professionals (Second Edition), the WHO describes breastfeeding as not merely a personal choice but a public health, economic, and human rights imperative that requires coordinated action from governments, healthcare systems, and employers. The updated guidance provides a detailed roadmap for low- and middle-income countries to improve breastfeeding rates through stronger legal frameworks, better health education, and sustained public investment.
Globally, only 48 percent of infants under six months are exclusively breastfed, while in countries like Pakistan, fewer than half of all babies receive breast milk within the first hour after birth—a delay that sharply raises the risk of neonatal deaths. The WHO notes that early breastfeeding alone can prevent one in five newborn deaths, yet traditional feeding practices, hospital routines, and lax regulation continue to undermine progress.
The report calls on countries to increase national investment in breastfeeding promotion and counselling, ensure that every health facility provides skilled lactation support from birth to postnatal care, and fully implement the International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes. Despite decades of evidence showing the harms of formula marketing, the WHO warns that commercial milk producers continue to target new mothers with misleading promotions, free samples, and incentives—even within hospitals and clinics—where the first feeding decision is made.
Pakistan, which adopted the Protection of Breastfeeding and Young Child Nutrition Ordinance in 2002, has yet to enforce it uniformly across all provinces. Health experts say weak monitoring, lack of penalties, and aggressive industry marketing have created the false impression that formula milk is a modern or superior substitute for breast milk. The WHO stresses that this narrative must be countered through strict legal enforcement, nationwide public awareness campaigns, and the inclusion of breastfeeding education in all medical and nursing curricula.
The new guidelines also emphasize maternity protection in the workplace as a critical enabler of successful breastfeeding. The WHO recommends at least six months of paid maternity leave, breastfeeding breaks, and lactation rooms in all workplaces to help women continue breastfeeding after returning to work. In Pakistan, maternity leave is restricted to 12 weeks in the public sector, while most private-sector workers receive no paid leave at all. “Persuading mothers to breastfeed without providing them with an enabling environment is both ineffective and unethical,” the report warns.
Economically, the WHO calls breastfeeding one of the smartest investments a nation can make. Every dollar spent on breastfeeding promotion yields a thirty-fivefold return through reduced healthcare costs, higher productivity, and improved brain development. In Pakistan—where child malnutrition affects more than 40 percent of children under five—better breastfeeding support could significantly lower healthcare spending and improve learning outcomes across generations.
The report also connects breastfeeding to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including ending hunger, improving health and education, and reducing poverty and inequality. It describes breastfeeding as both environmentally sustainable and socially equitable, calling it “a natural act of care that links nutrition, economy, and human rights.”
Health experts in Pakistan say the WHO’s recommendations are timely as the country continues to face high infant mortality, widespread stunting, and poor maternal health indicators. They emphasize that breastfeeding counselling must become a routine part of antenatal and postnatal care and that Lady Health Workers should be trained to address myths that delay breastfeeding initiation—such as the belief that colostrum is harmful or that newborns need honey or water immediately after birth.
The WHO concludes that improving breastfeeding practices demands more than awareness campaigns. It requires strong laws, supportive workplaces, and skilled healthcare providers. “When a mother breastfeeds, she is saving her child, strengthening her family, and investing in her nation,” the report says. “The real test of commitment lies not in words, but in how a country protects, promotes, and supports every mother to breastfeed.”
Ends