ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination has warned that formula milk advertisements could be stopped if television channels fail to include the required spoken warning promoting breastfeeding.
The warning was issued after the committee was informed that objections from television channels and other relevant organisations had prevented the required spoken message from being aired, despite earlier directions that it should be made part of formula milk advertisements.
The committee, chaired by Senator Amir Waliuddin Chishti, reviewed the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority’s (PEMRA) compliance with its directions regarding the promotion of formula milk.
PEMRA’s chairperson told the committee that disclaimers were being aired after formula milk advertisements and that public service messages promoting breastfeeding had also been broadcast. However, the committee was informed that the required spoken warning had not been included because television channels and other relevant organisations had raised objections.
Members expressed concern over the absence of the spoken warning, observing that a written disclaimer alone was not sufficient to properly inform viewers. They stressed that the message must be clearly heard as part of formula milk advertisements so that parents understand the importance of breastfeeding.
The committee directed PEMRA to fully enforce its previous and current instructions. It warned that formula milk advertisements could be prohibited where the required spoken warning was not included.
Under the committee’s earlier directions, the message, “There is no substitute for Mother’s Milk,” was required to be spoken in formula milk advertisements and printed in Urdu on all formula milk packaging. The purpose was to ensure that the message reached parents both through advertisements and at points where formula milk products are seen in shops.
During an earlier review, the committee had been informed that the message had been added to the advertisements and packaging of Lactogen and NIDO and had been broadcast on television and radio. However, the committee found the presentation of PEMRA’s chairperson unsatisfactory and sought full compliance with its directions. The latest review again raised concerns over the failure to air the required spoken warning.
The committee also directed the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination to improve and update its animated public service message promoting breastfeeding within three days, with the aim of making the campaign clearer and more effective for the public.
Under earlier instructions, the ministry had also been directed to prepare a 30-second public service message promoting breastfeeding and provide it to PEMRA for broadcast on television.
The committee asked PEMRA to ensure that its media campaign follows the instructions issued by the committee. It stressed that the purpose of the warning was to ensure that the public receives clear information about breastfeeding and that the message is not weakened through incomplete implementation.
The committee made it clear that regulatory instructions must be followed in full and that the required warning cannot be treated as optional. It said the relevant authorities must take necessary steps to ensure that formula milk advertisements carry the required message and that the breastfeeding awareness campaign reaches the public effectively.
