Measures to Streamline Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes

A senior health official of the UAE government has revealed that government will enact a law to regulate marketing and promotion of breast-milk substitutes in an effort encourage breast-feeding and reduce infant malnutrition.

Dr Hajir Al Housani, Director of the Central Maternity and Child Care Department at the Ministry of Health told Khaleej times that a law to rationalize marketing regulations will soon be put into place to prevent inappropriate use of breast-milk substitutes.

She said efforts were on to bring in a national draft resolution in line with the International Code on Marketing Breast-milk Substitutes, which imposes regulations on marketing and promotion of breast-milk, to encourage breast-feeding.

She added that steps would be taken to ensure appropriate use of breast-milk substitutes when necessary through appropriate marketing and distribution.

The marketing, selling, and distribution of breast-milk substitutes as a partial or total replacement for breast-milk had lately been on the rise, and the proposed law would ensure that there is no advertising or any of other form of promotion of these products to the general public.

Manufacturers and distributors of these products are also barred from supplying any samples of these products to pregnant women or any member of their families.