Minister of State for National Health Services, Dr. Mukhtar Ahmad Bharat, has said that the country’s economy is under additional pressure due to the consumption of formula milk, asserting that breast milk is the optimal choice for infants.
Addressing a seminar in Islamabad, Dr Bharat said the federal government was implementing important measures to improve child nutrition in the country.
“The best source of nutrition for infants is breast milk,” the state minister reiterated.
Dr Bharath also mentioned the need to educate parliamentarians on this issue, adding that the government is committed to enacting effective legislation on breastfeeding.
He said an awareness initiative targeting women will also be launched nationally.
Pakistan consumes formula milk and baby food worth more than 110 billion rupees every year, according to officials and health experts.
Poor breastfeeding practices in the country lead to enormous health and economic consequences. According to the World Health Organization, suboptimal breastfeeding contributes to almost 50% of child deaths, mainly from infections such as diarrhea and pneumonia.
Economically, the country loses approximately $2.8 billion annually due to increased disease, medical costs and impaired cognitive development.
Although breast milk substitutes are rarely medically necessary, they are often marketed for use in older infants and toddlers, particularly in urban areas.
Senior pediatricians and public health experts say this vast gap between actual medical needs and consumption volume raises serious concerns about the aggressive and uncontrolled marketing tactics of multinational formula companies operating in Pakistan.
With approximately six million births per year and a maternal mortality rate of 186 per 100,000 live births, only a small proportion of newborns cannot receive breast milk immediately after birth.
Experts estimate that even taking into account serious maternal illnesses and rare infant pathologies, fewer than 2,000 newborns nationwide need breast milk substitutes in the immediate postnatal period.
Despite this, the infant formula industry continues to expand, fueled largely by unregulated marketing, promotions in healthcare settings, and distribution practices that blur the line between medical necessity and consumer convenience.
Seven multinational companies currently dominate the Pakistani infant formula market. These companies are lobbying the Sindh government to relax the Protection and Promotion of Breastfeeding and Young Child Nutrition Act, 2023, while lobbying to prevent similar laws at the federal and provincial levels.
