WORLD Breastfeeding Week is observed globally from 1 to 7 August each year, and Pakistan too joins in echoing the message that breastfeeding saves lives.

Health experts, nutritionists, government departments and NGOs highlight the irreplaceable benefits of mother’s milk: it boosts immunity, prevents malnutrition and enhances the cognitive development of infants. Yet, beyond these campaigns lies a deeper, more troubling reality—one that remains largely unaddressed. In the narrow lanes of urban slums and the neglected corners of rural Pakistan, poor mothers often find themselves unable to breastfeed their newborns. Not by choice, but by circumstance. This failure isn’t natural—it is systemic. It is shaped by poverty, influenced by market forces and made worse by a lack of regulatory enforcement.

Across Pakistan, particularly in underprivileged communities, it’s not uncommon to see newborns being fed powdered milk from plastic bottles within hours of birth. At first glance, it might seem like convenience or modern practice. But in reality, many of these mothers either fail to produce breastmilk or are misled into believing formula is better. The question is—why? One key factor is maternal undernutrition. Chronic poverty forces women into cycles of physical exhaustion and inadequate diets throughout pregnancy. A........

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