ISLAMABAD, Sept 24: The federal cabinet is likely to ban the promotion of mother-milk substitutes by regulating the marketing of designated infant foods items when it meets on Wednesday (today), an official source said.
It is also likely to prohibit smoking at public and enclosed places by approving another law for the protection of non- smokers.
The source said the three ordinances the health ministry was forwarding for cabinet’s approval were: protection of breast- feeding and young child nutrition; Islamabad prohibition of smoking and protection of non-smokers health ordinance; transfusion of safe blood ordinance.
Soon after the endorsement, the ordinances will be promulgated for the implementation.
Recently, the health ministry issued two draft ordinances — one on the protection of breast-feeding and the other against smoking at public places — to solicit public opinion. About the ordinance regarding transfusion of safe blood, the source said it aimed at regulating transfusion of safe and healthy blood and related products, that were free of viruses and infective agents.
“Blood can save lives, but it can also be dangerous for health as AIDS, Hepatitis B and C, sexually transmitted and many other diseases spread through unsafe blood and its products,” the source said.
The law suggests to create national and provincial blood transfusion authorities to ensure that no blood bank receives or supplies blood unless it is registered with the respective authority.
Similarly, every physician, surgeon, medial practitioner or any person conducting transfusion will ensure that the blood and its products are free of virus or infection. No blood bank will be registered unless it possesses the staff, building and equipment needed for blood donations and for selection, care and safety of donors.
The source said the law on protection of breast-feeding would ensure provision of safe and adequate nutrition to infants and children by regulating the marketing of designated products. The law restricts to state or imply that designated products are a substitute for mother’s milk. It also disallows any manufacturer to donate equipment to a healthcare facility or offer or give any benefit to a professional association of medical practitioners including fellowship, training study grants and funding for attendance of meetings, seminars, continuing education courses or conferences.
The law prohibits promotion of designated products in any form. Moreover, no distributor or manufacturer will give donations or gifts of a designated product to any person, including a healthcare facility. Similarly, no person will produce or distribute any educational or informational material relating to infant and child feeding except for mother’s milk. Such material will only be distributed among health professionals.
In addition to this, no designated product will be marketed or sold in Pakistan, unless their label was in accordance with the provisions of the federal government.
The law stresses that the mother’s milk is the best food for the infant, and the food industry, for its vested economic interest, has been promoting baby formulas in a way that mothers are misled and the breast-feeding is discouraged.
Similarly, the law against smoking describe the habit as a serious health hazard and holds it responsible for increased mortality. It says non-smokers are equally at risk due to involuntary inhaling of smoke emitted by smokers.
The ordinance prohibits smoking at public and enclosed places like public transport vehicles, schools, hospitals, offices and workplaces. It also prohibits any advertisement that promotes smoking or selling of cigerattes at public places.
Similarly, no person will sell cigarettes or any other smoking substance to any one under the age of 18 years. Moreover, no person will store, sell or distribute cigarettes in the vicinity of any college, school or educational institution.