Act is made to provide control of sale and distribution of mother milk substitution.
It is expedient to provide for safe and adequate nutrition to the infant by protecting and promoting breastfeeding and regulating mother's milk substitutes as well as control sales and distribution of infant foods.
Mother's milk substitute means any food available in market that is distributed as partial or total replacement of mother's milk.
It is only applicable if mother's milk is not adequate, if mother is unable to feed and so on. This act also promotes exclusive breast feeding till 6 months of age.
Implementation and supervision:
- MoHP is responsible for its implementation and regulation, can be asisted from other ministries or NGOs or INGOs to implement the act.
This act also talks about information and education on infant food: The ministry may, on advice of committee, give approval to publicize any information and educational materials related with infant foods.
Committee:
- Government shall form a Breastfeeding protection and promotion committee to supervise this act, to protect and promote breast feeding and control sales and distribution of the product.
- Under leadership of secretary of MOHP and members from other ministries.
- Total of 12 mmbers for 2 years period.
- Chairperson: Secretary, MOHP
- Members:
- Gazetted() first class respresentative from Ministry of Industry/supplies, commerce, education and culture, labor and social welfare.
- Respresentative from Nepal Pediatric Association
- Representativefrom Nepal chamber of commerce and industries
- 2 person nominated from renowned person enganged in maternal and child health
- renowned nutritional expert nominated by Nepal Government
- 1 nominated by Gov-Nepal from mothers having experience related to child care and maintenance
- Member Secretary : a person designated by Gov-Nepal
Section 7:
- Every information and educational material should be written or audio or visual, dealing with infant food shall clear information including:
- benefits and superiority of breastfeeding
- preparation for and continuation of breastfeeding including mother's nutrition
- harmful effects on breastfeeding due to partial adoption of bottle feeding or complementary food feeding
- difficulties in reverting to breastfeeding after a period of feeding by mother's milk substitute
- Information and educational materials containing the matters of feeding complementary food or mother's milk substitute to infants shall make clear about:
- proper use of mother's milk substitute
- expenditure to be incured in feeding mother's milk substitute in comparison with expenditure too be incured in breastfeeding to infants
- health hazards of improper use of mothe's milk substitute, improper food and feeding bottles
Section 8: Health care system and health care workers responsibilities
- Chief of health care system and national, local health officials shall adopt proper measures to promote principle of this act, protect and encourage breastfeeding and give proper information and advice to health workers about their responsibilities
- HWs shall have knowledge of proviions of this act and implement to extent possible
- HWs shall not allow any act inhibiting commencement and expansion of breastfeeding, whether directly or indirectly
- No HWs shall accept any finalcial or in kind gifts from manufacturer or distributor
- No HWs shall promote it, give samples to any person
Section 9: Regulation for Manufacturer and distributor
- No manufacturer or distributor shall make advertisment in any manners:
- promoting any product
- giving impression or creating blief that the feeding of mother's milk subsititute is equivalent or superior to mother's milk
- no sample to any one, no addvertisment to any health care facilities and health workers
Section 10: Certification
to be obtained after food testing from Central Food laboratotry
Section 11: Labeling
- prior to marketing of any product in nepal, its manufacturer or distributoor shall submit a label of such product along application, as prescribed to committee for approval
- Information to be in labeling:
- proper use of product and not to discourage Breastfeeding
- no picture, drawing, miniature other than graphics showing manufacturing process
- should have name, address of manufacturer and its distributor
- word: improtant notice should highlight breastfeeding is superior, only after HWs advice, intruction for appropriate preparation, easily understandable graphs, quantity required to properly feed an infant each month
Standard will be monitored by Nepal Bureau of Standards and its inspection is done by Ministry.
Section 16: Penalties
- HWs who violet acts:
- not exceeding Rs. 1000 or not exceeding imprisonment for one month or both
- Manufacturer/distributor who violet this act:
- Fine not exceeding Rs. 10,000 or imprisonment not exceeding 3 months or both
- Don't meet certification and labeling: Fine not exceeding Rs. 15000 or imprisonment not exceeding 4 months or both
For more read complete act : you can get files in library.