World Breastfeeding Week 2025: IBA, UNICEF & DUHS Unite to Boost Breastfeeding in Pakistan

Karachi: The Institute of Business Administration’s (IBA) Center for Business and Economic Research (CBER), in collaboration with UNICEF and Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS), organized a special seminar to mark World Breastfeeding Week 2025. The event highlighted the urgent need to promote and protect breastfeeding practices in Pakistan to ensure better health outcomes for mothers and children.

The seminar gathered academia, policymakers, doctors, nutrition experts, and civil society representatives, creating a powerful platform for dialogue on improving child and maternal health through breastfeeding.

Dr. Lubna Naz, Director of IBA-CBER, welcomed the participants, while Member of Sindh Assembly, Ms. Nida Khuhro, delivered the inaugural address. She stressed the importance of breastfeeding in reducing child mortality, improving maternal health, and strengthening Pakistan’s healthcare system. She also shed light on the Government of Sindh’s efforts to implement breastfeeding laws and interacted directly with attendees during a Q&A session.

During the discussions, experts emphasized that exclusive breastfeeding is not just a health necessity but also an economic advantage, reducing healthcare costs and strengthening family well-being. Dr. Sumaira Nasim, Public Health Nutritionist and Assistant Professor at DUHS, highlighted that breast milk provides unmatched health and financial benefits compared to formula milk.

A panel discussion, moderated by Dr. Naz, featured Dr. Khalid Shafi (DUHS), Ms. Zehra Khan (women’s rights activist), Dr. Ayesha Khalid (Aga Khan University), and Mr. Naveed Bhutto (Government of Sindh). The speakers collectively called for behavioral change, awareness campaigns, and strong family support, especially from fathers and in-laws, to encourage breastfeeding.

The experts also raised concerns about low breastfeeding rates in Pakistan, pointing out that only 45% of infants are exclusively breastfed, while the country has just 500 registered nutritionists for over 251 million people. They stressed that formula feeding should not replace breast milk, as breast milk remains the safest, most natural, and most beneficial source of infant nutrition.

The seminar ended with a strong call for multi-sector collaboration between government, healthcare, academia, and civil society to promote breastfeeding as a lifesaving and cost-effective solution for Pakistan’s future generations.