NAFDAC sets new regulations on marketing of breast milk substitute

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on Friday, says the agency has set a new regulation on marketing Code of breast milk substitute in the country.

The Kaduna State NAFDAC Breast milk substitute Desk Officer Rahila Maishanu, disclosed this during a sensitisation workshop for general and private medical practitioners from four local government areas in Kaduna State.

Maishanu said that the Regulation Code had new set of monitoring tools to ensure compliance by violators.

She stressed that violators of the Code would be fined from between N150, 000 to N2 million depending on the offence while seizure and legal proceedings could be carried out too.

“The regulation would target manufacturers of baby formulas, advertisers, sellers and health workers,” she said.

She called on health workers not to promote breast milk substitute of any kind in their facilities aimed at addressing issues of infant and children malnutrition.

“They should, on no account, display breast milk substitute in their hospitals but must always encourage and tell mothers that breast milk is best for their children.”

Earlier, a Monitoring and Education Officer of an NGO, Alive and Thrive, Mr Fadipe Joseph, called for collaboration between NAFDAC and the NGO for effective sensitisation.

He said the collaboration became necessary because NAFDAC understood the place of partnership with NGOs and relevant stakeholders for sensitisation.

He said the 60 participants who attended the workshop were expected to cascade the knowledge about the regulation marketing code of breast milk substitute.

He said this became necessary due to poor exclusive breastfeeding attitude observed among mothers.