Pakistanis spend over $850 million on formula milk (annual basis)
ISLAMABAD – Pakistan’s infant formula advertisers could face mandatory health warnings, fines or a possible ban after a Senate committee directed media regulator to ensure their commercials clearly state that there is no substitute for breast milk.
Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services issued the directive during its meeting on Tuesday, warning that aggressive promotion of breast milk substitutes could undermine efforts to combat child malnutrition.
Committee Chairman Senator Aamir Waliuddin Chishti told the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) that implementation was essential, while leaving the choice of enforcement measures to the regulator. He said PEMRA could consider banning advertisements, imposing fines or taking other regulatory action to ensure compliance.
Senator Shahzeb Durrani proposed mandatory pictorial warnings on formula milk advertisements, drawing a comparison with warnings used for cigarettes. Durrani reminded the regulator that the committee had previously called for discouraging formula milk promotion, particularly where mothers are able to breastfeed but choose alternatives.
PEMRA Chairperson Ambreen Jan suggested banning formula milk advertisements. Committee members, however, said the authority to decide and enforce such regulatory measures rested with PEMRA. Jan also presented public awareness messages highlighting breastfeeding’s importance and the nutritional benefits of breast milk.
The committee’s intervention comes against a troubling backdrop of childhood malnutrition. UNICEF estimates cited in the report put the number of children affected by stunting in Pakistan at approximately 10 million, while only 38 per cent of infants are exclusively breastfed during their first six months.
The committee’s directive places pressure on PEMRA to act, although the discussion did not amount to an announcement of an advertising ban.
Pakistani families spend $880 million on formula milk annually, while inadequate breastfeeding contributes to an estimated 33,700 child deaths and $2.8 billion in economic losses, experts told the Pakistan Paediatric Association’s conference in Islamabad.
With exclusive breastfeeding at just 48.4%, specialists warned that babies under six months who receive no breast milk face a 15-fold higher risk of death, mainly from diarrhoea and pneumonia.
Experts also flagged drug-resistant typhoid, rising childhood HIV infections, newborn deaths and air pollution, urging tighter controls on formula marketing, stronger breastfeeding protections and better access to preventive care and treatment.
