In-country jurists remain an untapped resource for strengthening legal measures to support breastfeeding in South Asia, write Vani Sethi and Zivai Murira Despite South Asian countries having stronger national policies and programmes than other world regions for protecting, promoting, and supporting breastfeeding, only 39% infants born in South Asia are breastfed within the first hour of birth, and only 61% are exclusively breastfed in their first six months of life.1 Annual sales of commercial milk formula are rising exponentially in the region, largely because of exploitative promotion by the baby food industry. Data show at least 15% compound annual sales growth from 2015 to 2021 in countries such as Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka,2—and drug stores and pharmacies, which are most trusted by mothers and families, have the highest share of commercial milk formula sales in these countries.2 Implementation of the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes, adopted by the World Health Assembly in 1981,3 as well as subsequent resolutions of the World Health Assembly and the World Health Organization’s guidance on ending inappropriate promotion of foods for infants and young children (“the code”),4 is imperative in order to protect parents, caregivers, infants, and young children from exploitative marketing and promotion by the baby food industry. Seven of the eight countries in South Asia have legal regulatory frameworks that are …

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利用南亚当地的法学家网络来保护母乳喂养

国内法学家仍然是加强法律措施以支持南亚母乳喂养的未开发资源，作者 Vani Sethi 和 Zivai Murira 尽管南亚国家在保护、促进和支持母乳喂养方面拥有比世界其他地区更强大的国家政策和计划，但只有 39南亚出生的婴儿在出生后的第一个小时内接受母乳喂养的百分比，只有 61% 的婴儿在出生后的前六个月内接受纯母乳喂养。1该地区商业配方奶粉的年销量呈指数级增长，这主要是由于婴儿食品行业。数据显示，从 2015 年到 2021 年，在孟加拉国、印度、巴基斯坦和斯里兰卡等国家，2 以及最受母亲和家人信任的药店和药店的复合年销售额增长至少 15%，在这些国家/地区的商业配方奶粉销售额中所占份额最高。2 执行世界卫生大会 1981 年通过的《国际母乳代用品销售守则》3 以及世界卫生大会和世界卫生组织的后续决议关于终止婴幼儿食品不当促销的指南（“守则”）4 是必不可少的，以保护父母、看护人、婴幼儿免受婴儿食品行业的剥削性营销和促销。南亚八个国家中有七个国家的法律监管框架是…… 3 以及世界卫生大会随后的决议和世界卫生组织关于终止婴幼儿食品不当促销的指南（“守则”）4，对于保护父母、看护者、婴幼儿和青少年来说是必不可少的儿童食品行业的剥削性营销和促销。南亚八个国家中有七个国家的法律监管框架是…… 3 以及世界卫生大会随后的决议和世界卫生组织关于终止婴幼儿食品不当促销的指南（“守则”）4，对于保护父母、看护者、婴幼儿和青少年来说是必不可少的儿童食品行业的剥削性营销和促销。南亚八个国家中有七个国家的法律监管框架是……