The Sindh government has banned the sale of baby formula milk without a doctor’s prescription and implemented the Sindh Protection and Promotion of Breastfeeding and Child Nutrition Act to enforce strict regulations on the sale and promotion of artificial formula milk.

The new law prohibits the sale of artificial formula milk without a doctor’s prescription, and violators will face fines and imprisonment. Anyone who breaks the law will be fined Rs500,000 and may face six months of imprisonment.

The government has instructed all formula milk-producing companies to print “artificial milk” on the boxes of baby milk formula. Additionally, doctors cannot prescribe artificial formula milk to mothers without a valid reason. Those who do so will face license cancellation and complaints to the Infant Feeding Board.

A major study in 2016 suggested that improving breastfeeding rates to reach this milestone could save more than 800,000 babies’ lives annually.

“False and misleading messages about formula feeding are a substantial barrier to breastfeeding, which we know is best for babies and mothers,” UNICEF executive director Catherine Russell said in a statement.

Rollins said that digital marketing, in particular, needs work due to its potential for personalized targeted messaging. He highlighted that it is now a major area of expansion for baby milk companies, alongside milk for older children and those designed for allergies.

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