Karachi: In a strong push for infant health, senior pediatricians from the Pakistan Pediatric Association (PPA) have urged Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal to fast-track a nationwide breastfeeding protection law, warning that formula milk lobbies are working aggressively to weaken Sindh’s progressive legislation.
During a meeting in Karachi on Saturday, the PPA delegation, led by Secretary General Dr. Khalid Shafi, warned that baby food companies are lobbying top institutions, including the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), to dilute the Sindh Protection and Promotion of Breastfeeding and Child Nutrition Act, and to discourage similar laws elsewhere.
“The Senate has already passed the bill, and it’s now in the National Assembly. A federal law is vital to curb unethical marketing of formula milk and to support exclusive breastfeeding,” the pediatricians told the minister.
They also called for a critical change: shifting regulatory oversight of breast milk substitutes from provincial food authorities to the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), since these products are prescribed in medical settings.
“This is a public health issue. These products should be overseen by a medical regulatory body, not a food safety agency,” Dr. Shafi said.
Health Minister Mustafa Kamal welcomed the recommendations, saying the federal government is committed to protecting child health and would closely examine all proposals.
“We are serious about supporting breastfeeding and child nutrition, and we’ll act on the positive suggestions presented today,” Kamal assured.
Other issues discussed included gaps in the national immunization programme. The pediatricians highlighted that most vaccines are administered only up to age two, leaving millions of children unprotected beyond that.
They recommended extending EPI coverage to five years and integrating newer vaccines like the Hexavalent vaccine to strengthen protection against multiple illnesses.
The delegation also flagged the shortage of essential pediatric medicines in Pakistan, urging the minister to ensure that DRAP expedites approvals and streamlines import mechanisms so critical treatments are available when needed.
The meeting ended with the PPA delegation praising the minister’s leadership and renewed focus on child health. “Your ministry is headed in the right direction. With the right policy decisions, we can save thousands of lives,” Dr. Shafi noted.
Minister Kamal thanked the pediatricians for their advocacy and reaffirmed his commitment to collaborative policymaking that places children’s health at the center.
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