Dr. Sheikha Al Anoud bint Mohammed Al Thani, Director of Health Promotion and Non-Communicable Diseases speaking at workshop for evaluators of child friendly hospitals initiative yesterday. Pic: Baher Amin / The Peninsula
In an important initiative to promote breastfeeding, the Ministry of Public Health has finalised a draft law regulating breast-milk substitutes and it is ready to be submitted for approval, a senior official said yesterday.
Once implemented the law will prohibit promoting products that are used as breast-milk substitutes in the country, said Dr Sheikha Al Anoud bint Mohamed Al Thani, Director of Health Promotion and Non-communicable Diseases at, the MoPH.
The law will align with the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes, an international health policy framework for breastfeeding promotion adopted by the World Health Assembly (WHA) of the World Health Organization (WHO). “We have finalised the law on breast milk substitutes. it is in the final stage and will soon be submitted to the Cabinet for approval,” said Dr Al Anoud.
“Qatar signed the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes in 1998. The new law will be complying with its recommendations and will stop promotion of breast-milk substitutes. Such substitutes will be prescribed by doctors only if needed for the child in an exceptional situation. Also all healthcare providers will be prohibited from attending any event promoting breast-milk substitutes,” she said speaking on sidelines of a workshop being held to train assessors for the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI).
This initiative focuses on adopting best practices in breastfeeding with the aim of promoting wellness of the mother and her baby.
This includes the creation of a supportive hospital environment for pregnant women, mothers after giving birth and their families, with well-motivated, knowledgeable and highly skilled hospital staff.
The ministry is preparing to implement BFHI in all hospitals and primary health care centres across the country within two years. In this regard a five day workshop is being held at the Shangri La Hotel in Doha to train health care providers.
Five hospitals becoming baby-friendly
“By now five government and public hospitals have taken some steps in becoming baby-friendly hospitals. During the workshop we will train assessors from hospitals and primary healthcare centres on how to evaluate the initiatives taken by their healthcare facilities to promote breastfeeding. Then they will do the assessment and report to the ministry,” said Dr Sheikha Al Anoud bint Mohamed Al Thani, Director of Health Promotion and Non-communicable Diseases, at the MoPH. Also the the ministry will soon launch a campaign to increase awareness about the importance of breastfeeding.
“Breastfeeding rates are low in Qatar due to myths like it’s not good for the mother’s health, while some women don’t have enough support from the spouse and the family as well as a correct knowledge about breastfeeding,” said Dr Al Anoud.
Separately, the ministry is also working with the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs to extend the period of maternity leave. At present the labour law allows 50 days of maternity leave and new mothers can take one hour break every day until the child is one year old.
