Pakistan’s Media Urged to Take the Lead in Promoting Breastfeeding and Protecting Maternal Health
Pakistan’s Media Urged to Take the Lead in Promoting Breastfeeding and Protecting Maternal Health
UNICEF Representative in Pakistan, Pernille Ironside, has called on the national media to take a leadership role in promoting breastfeeding as a vital public health priority and a symbol of gender equality. Addressing a national dialogue at the Health Services Academy in Islamabad titled “Role of Media in the Promotion, Protection and Support of Breastfeeding in Pakistan,” she described breastfeeding as the foundation of a healthy nation and an investment that yields lifelong returns.
Introducing herself as “a mother and a breastfeeding champion,” Ironside said breastfeeding is not simply a maternal duty but a shared social responsibility that reflects a nation’s commitment to its children. She emphasized that it should be recognized as both a human right and a national necessity. “Breastfeeding must be valued so that not a single drop goes to waste,” she said, urging journalists and media organizations to help reshape social perceptions and counter misinformation spread by formula milk marketing campaigns.
Citing UNICEF data, Ironside expressed concern that fewer than half of Pakistani infants under six months are exclusively breastfed, a rate far below the 60 percent target set by the World Health Assembly. She warned that this gap contributes to preventable illnesses, child mortality, and significant economic losses. “Breast milk is free—it’s the elixir of life,” she said, adding that every dollar invested in breastfeeding returns thirty-five dollars through improved health, productivity, and reduced healthcare costs.
Ironside praised Sindh province for updating legislation to protect and promote breastfeeding but stressed the need for similar legal reforms at the federal and provincial levels. “The evidence is irrefutable,” she said. “Breastfeeding saves lives, strengthens the mother-child bond, enhances brain development, and benefits families and economies.”
She outlined the social and structural barriers that continue to discourage breastfeeding across Pakistan, including weak maternity protections, unsupportive workplaces, unequal domestic roles, and misleading advertising by formula milk companies. She also criticized the perception among some affluent families that formula milk represents higher social status, calling it a “damaging misconception.” She said breastfeeding must be seen as an act of empowerment that requires collective support from fathers, families, and communities.
Turning her attention to journalists, Ironside said the media’s role in this national effort could be “truly transformative.” She urged television networks, newspapers, and digital platforms to develop culturally sensitive, evidence-based stories that promote breastfeeding in local languages. “The media can challenge unethical marketing of breast milk substitutes, highlight the need for workplace protections for mothers, and normalize breastfeeding as a natural and dignified act,” she said.
Drawing from her own experience, Ironside shared that she breastfed her child for more than two years while working full-time. “It was not easy, but it was worth it,” she said. “We need to celebrate such stories so women feel encouraged and supported rather than isolated.”
In her concluding remarks, she called on all sectors of society to unite against misleading formula milk advertising that undermines maternal and child health. “Every child in Pakistan deserves to thrive from the very first drops of breast milk—the most powerful and natural start to life,” she said. “This is not just about child survival. It is about dignity, equality, and the nation’s future.”
