ISLAMABAD, Aug 28 (Alliance News): Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Climate Change and Environment, Ms. Romina Khurshid Alam, emphasized the crucial role of breastfeeding in ensuring the health of both infants and mothers, while also addressing its broader economic and environmental impacts.
Speaking as the keynote speaker at the seminar “National Advocacy & Sensitization with Parliamentarians on the World Breastfeeding Awareness Week,” held on Wednesday, she highlighted the importance of breastfeeding in promoting healthy development and strengthening the mother-infant bond.
The event was organized by ‘Save the Children’ in collaboration with the Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Ministry, WHO, UNICEF, and the World Food Programme.
Ms. Alam drew attention to the challenges posed by climate change on maternal nutrition, noting that Pakistan’s extreme weather events, water scarcity, and shifts in agricultural productivity directly impact food security and, consequently, maternal and child nutrition.
She called for the integration of climate resilience into national nutrition programs, emphasizing the need for sustainable agricultural practices and resilient food systems.
“Breastfeeding is at the heart of our nation’s future, empowering maternal, child, and adolescent nutrition in Pakistan,” she remarked, adding that achieving adequate nutrition is not only a health challenge but also crucial for societal development and resilience to climate change.
Ms. Alam also highlighted the need for collective efforts from healthcare professionals, community leaders, policymakers, and media to create supportive environments for breastfeeding.
She stressed the importance of dispelling myths, providing accurate information, and supporting mothers, especially in rural and underserved areas.
The PM’s Coordinator underscored the importance of family-friendly policies, such as paid maternity leave and access to quality childcare, to support working mothers.
She also highlighted the government’s efforts in enhancing maternity leave policies and encouraging workplaces to adopt family-friendly practices, particularly in the private sector.
Secretary of the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus, Dr. Shahida Rehmani, addressed the aggressive marketing of breast milk substitutes in Pakistan, which often misleads vulnerable mothers.
She stressed that protecting breastfeeding is a national responsibility and urged for stronger enforcement of the International Code of Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes.
UNICEF’s Chief of Nutrition, Anthony Germa, called on parliamentarians to tackle malnutrition among infants and lactating mothers, emphasizing that breastfeeding is essential for children’s survival and is the first vaccine for every child.
He highlighted the alarming child mortality rate in Pakistan due to malnutrition and stressed the need for more robust discussions on breastfeeding as a basic child right.
Vice Chancellor of Health Services Academy (HSA), Dr. Shahzad Ali Khan, warned about the rising neonatal diseases due to inadequate breastfeeding, emphasizing that early childhood development is critical.
He called for greater awareness to curb the trend of substituting breastfeeding with formula milk.
The seminar concluded with a call to action for parliamentarians, health professionals, and the public to ensure that breastfeeding is supported and promoted as a vital practice for the health of Pakistan’s future generations.
