Sri Lanka is set to introduce new legislation promoting breastfeeding, with a focus on protecting children from the unethical marketing practices of milk powder companies.

The Cabinet of Ministers has granted policy approval for the preparation of a draft bill aimed at safeguarding the health and nutrition of children by promoting breastfeeding as a scientifically proven intervention. This decision reaffirms Sri Lanka’s global leadership in breastfeeding promotion, having already achieved the distinction of being the first country to receive ‘Green Status’ from the World Breastfeeding Trends Initiative (WBTi).

The proposed legislation will introduce legal provisions to prevent the harmful and commercially driven tactics used by milk powder companies to discourage breastfeeding. It seeks to reinforce breastfeeding as a national priority and ensure that Sri Lanka continues to be recognised as a pioneer in child nutrition and maternal health.

Approval for this initiative was initially granted by the Cabinet on 16 October 2018. The current Cabinet has now endorsed the move forward, with the Minister of Health and Mass Media tasked with drafting the bill.