The Sindh Assembly on Thursday passed Sindh Protection and Promotion of Breast-Feeding and Young Child Nutrition Act, 2023 to ensure safe and adequate nutrition for infants and young children up to the age of 36 months.
The bill moved by Parliamentary Secretary for Health Qasim Soomro said, “the law is aimed at protecting and supporting breastfeeding, and promoting healthy diets to prevent obesity and non-communicable diseases by regulating the marketing of designated products including breast milk substitutes, and of feeding bottles, valves, nipple shields, teats and pacifiers.”
The law said, “no representative of the business shall be allowed to solicit healthcare facility, health professional and health worker to prescribe designated products to infants and young children.”
Under the law, the Sindh government shall establish an Infant and Young Child Nutrition Board headed by Minister for Health who will work as its chairman. However, the chairperson, Standing Committee on Health, Sindh Assembly will work as its co-chairman with secretary health department as its secretary and 21 others from different departments and organisations as members of the board.
Among others who will work as members of the board included Chief Executive Officer Health Care Commission, Sindh, Director General Health Service, Director General Food Authority Sindh, Senior Pediatrician nominated by Health Department, Senior Gynecologist nominated by Health Department, representative of UNICEF and WHO,
Regarding the powers and functions of the board, the law said, “The board members shall advise and propose guidelines to government on policies for the promotion and protection of breast-feeding through education campaigns for health workers and general public.” It further said that the members will also advise standards of designated products including labeling requirements and propose guidelines to the government in accordance with the WHO/UNICEF protocols.
The board is to receive reports of violations of the provisions of this Act or the rules and will recommend investigation of cases against manufacturers, distributors or health workers found to be violating the provisions of this Act or the Rules.
The law said that a person shall not distribute, sale, stock or exhibit for sale any designated product that is not registered with the provincial and federal government.
“No representative of the business shall be allowed to solicit healthcare facility, health professional and health worker to prescribe designated products to infants and young children,” the law said adding that no person other than a health professional who is not engaged by a business, manufacturer or distributor shall instruct any user on the need and proper preparation and use of any designated product.
According to the law, no business or its representative shall be allowed to visit any healthcare facility, health professional and health worker in person.
The law further said that the board shall appoint the inspectors to inspect any premises where any designated product is imported, manufactured, sold, stocked, exhibited for sale, supply.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 14th, 2023.
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