LAHORE: Parliamentary Secretary on Health Khwaja Imran Nazir says the Punjab Protection of Breastfeeding and Child Nutrition Ordinance 2012 is in the final phase and will soon be presented in the assembly.

Addressing a seminar at the Lahore Press Club on Tuesday, the parliamentary secretary said the exclusive breastfeeding could contribute to reducing neonatal deaths and legislation by the provinces was a positive step towards protecting the feeding rights of infants and young children.

Organised by the Research and Advocacy Fund under the auspices of the Health, Education and Literacy Programme, the seminar was a part of advocacy project — Saving Newborn Lives by Early Initiation of Breastfeeding and Exclusive Breastfeeding — which is aimed to promote awareness about benefits of breastfeeding.

Mr Nazir said the project was launched in August 2012 with the aim to contribute towards reducing neonatal deaths through improved nutritional to newborns and highlighted its achievements.

He said infant mortality rate in Pakistan was 70 and among children under five mortality rate was 87, adding there was an urgent need to devise ways and implement strategies to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.

Published in Dawn, May 28th, 2014