Peshawar
\nKhyber Pakhtunkhwa\u2019s Health Advisor, Ihtisham Ali, on Thursday underscored the urgent need to prioritise breastfeeding as a public health and policy imperative, while addressing a ceremony marking the World Breastfeeding Month 2025.
\nThe event, held in Peshawar, was attended by Director General Health Services Dr. Mohammad Saleem, former Senator and paediatrician Dr. Mehr Taj Roghani, representatives from the Paediatric Association, UNICEF officials, Director Nutrition Dr Fazal Majeed, Director MCH Dr. Khizar Hayat, KP President Insaf Doctors Forum Dr. Nabi Jan, and other relevant stakeholders.
\nSpeaking as chief guest, Ihtisham Ali said, \u201cToday is not merely a ceremonial gathering to mark World Breastfeeding Month; it is a pledge to every mother and child in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa \u2014 that we will integrate breastfeeding into our policies, planning, and implementation mechanisms.\u201d
\nHe emphasized that breastfeeding is not the sole responsibility of mothers. \u201cIt is a collective social responsibility and an investment in public health. It directly contributes to reducing infant mortality, improving child development, and cutting healthcare costs,\u201d he added.
\nCiting provincial data, Ihtisham Ali noted that while 64% of babies in KP are born in hospitals, only 22% are breastfed within the first hour of birth. \u201cThis is not due to unwillingness of mothers but a failure of the system to provide timely support,\u201d he remarked.
\nHe urged authorities to move beyond symbolic gestures and adopt breastfeeding as a priority policy issue. \u201cAs Health Advisor, I will advocate for dedicated budgeting for breastfeeding, structured lactation counselling services in every hospital, family-friendly workplace policies for expecting mothers, and strict enforcement of the revised Breastfeeding Act,\u201d he declared.
\nHe further criticised the unethical marketing of formula milk, calling it a threat to child health. \u201cBreast milk is not just nourishment \u2014 it is a fundamental right of every child. We will not allow the commercialisation of infant nutrition to overshadow this right,\u201d he said, vowing strict action against deceptive advertising in the province.
\nIhtisham Ali announced plans to strengthen the KP Breastfeeding Act to include comprehensive regulatory measures, close legal loopholes in formula sales and promotion, and enforce punitive action for violations. \u201cI will personally take these reforms to the cabinet and push for immediate implementation,\u201d he stated.
\nReferring to international standards, he said the province\u2019s legislative reforms would align with WHA (World Health Assembly) resolutions. He shared that over 40 hospitals in the province were in the process of becoming Baby-Friendly Hospitals, with an additional 15 paediatric care centres under planning.
\n\u201cWith support from UNICEF, more than 20 hospitals now have functional Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs),\u201d Ali noted.
\nConcluding his speech, he called upon legislators, health officials, partners, and communities to move beyond words and into action. \u201cLet us build a Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where every child gets the best start in life \u2014 beginning with the right to breast milk,\u201d he urged.
\nIn a media interaction following the event, Health Advisor Ihtisham Ali also addressed governance challenges within the health department, stressing the need for intelligence-based operations, akin to anti-corruption crackdowns, to eliminate entrenched mafias. \u201cIn the coming days, you will witness more such decisive actions. The Centralised Anti-Corruption Health Cell (CATCH) will soon be made fully operational, with the province\u2019s best officers deployed to lead it,\u201d he stated.
\nHe made it clear that corruption \u2014 whether in audits, medicine procurement, or postings and transfers \u2014 would not be tolerated. \u201cThe only sustainable solution is digitisation, which is being implemented rigorously across the department. From drug procurement to HR postings, all systems are being digitised,\u201d he noted.
\nIhtisham Ali further announced that the Lady Health Worker (LHW) Programme is being revitalised to improve outreach. Additionally, lists of the province\u2019s top 30 paediatric super-specialists have been finalized. \u201cThe Khyber Institute of Child Healthcare will soon host a state-of-the-art facility that sets a new benchmark for paediatric care in the region,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Peshawar Khyber Pakhtunkhwa\u2019s Health Advisor, Ihtisham Ali, on Thursday underscored the urgent need to prioritise breastfeeding as a public health and policy imperative, while addressing a ceremony marking the World Breastfeeding Month 2025. The event, held in Peshawar, was attended by Director General Health Services Dr. Mohammad Saleem, former Senator and paediatrician Dr. Mehr Taj […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":494268,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-494258","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-peshawar"],"yoast_head":"\n