PESHAWAR: Minister for Health Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Shaukat Ali Yousafzai has revealed his government is "introducing protection of breast feeding and child nutrition law " in the province.
The cabinet of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will approve the draft already prepared for the purpose which will encourage breast feeding and discourage products in the province showing child feeding milk of multinational companies as better or substitute for breastfeeding.
He was addressing as a chief guest in a National Conference held at Islamabad regarding Breastfeeding Promotion and Protection under the "Save the Children" Program. The conference was attended by representatives of national and international organizations, social and political authorities, media representatives and various NGOs.
After getting approved from the cabinet the draft law will be tabled in the provincial assembly for enactment. Thereafter no doctor will prescribe or any multinational will portray their products as substitution or better products than the breast feeding.
The Minister said that the provincial government would also evolve a provincial board where under Health Regulatory Authority and Drug Authority both would work and would ensure that protection of breast feeding and child nutrition law is fully implemented.
If a doctor prescribed any product as substitute or any company presented their products as better than the breast feeding their licence will be cancelled and would be jailed for two years along with Rs. 8 lac penalty. He said the intentions behind encouraging breast feeding are noble as Islam also enjoins for breast feeding. He further stated that the provincial government was going with a focus approach for the primary health care. The Minister said 18 billion rupees have been allocated for MNCH program to ensure the healthcare facilities in basic health centres throughout the province. While for nutrition activities, 20 million dollars have also been allocated to protect and control the death ratio of new born children. More than 2000 community midwives had been trained which would be deputed to the far flung areas of the province for primary healthcare. Yousafzai said that religious scholars would also be invited to educate and highlight breastfeeding. A drive will be started at the level of villages, wards and union councils in this regard. The Minister said that breast milk is a unique combination of nutrients required for the natural growth of a child and cannot be substituted by any known combination. It provides a number of health advantages beginning right from birth.
If a doctor prescribed any product as substitute or any company presented their products as better than the breast feeding their licence will be cancelled and would be jailed for two years along with Rs. 8 lac penalty. He said the intentions behind encouraging breast feeding are noble as Islam also enjoins for breast feeding. He further stated that the provincial government was going with a focus approach for the primary health care. The Minister said 18 billion rupees have been allocated for MNCH program to ensure the healthcare facilities in basic health centres throughout the province. While for nutrition activities, 20 million dollars have also been allocated to protect and control the death ratio of new born children. More than 2000 community midwives had been trained which would be deputed to the far flung areas of the province for primary healthcare. Yousafzai said that religious scholars would also be invited to educate and highlight breastfeeding. A drive will be started at the level of villages, wards and union councils in this regard. The Minister said that breast milk is a unique combination of nutrients required for the natural growth of a child and cannot be substituted by any known combination. It provides a number of health advantages beginning right from birth.
