On February 22 in the Armenian-American Health Center on the initiative of the RA NA Standing Committee on Health, Maternity and Childhood hearings were held on the package of the RA draft laws “On Children’s Breastfeeding and Circulation of the Children’s Food,” “On Amending the RA Labor Code,” “On Amending the RA Law on the Organization and Holding of the RA Check-ups,” “On Amending the RA Law on Defense of the Consumers’ Rights,” “On Amending the RA Law on Human’s Reproductive Health and Reproductive Rights,” “On Amending the RA Code on Administrative Infringements” and “On Amending the RA Law on Advertisement.”
NA deputies, representatives from the relevant ministries, international and local NGOs, organizations functioning in the production of the children’s food and related goods, import and turnover and specialists from the sphere of the Mother and Child Health Protection were invited to take part in the hearings.
The Chairman of the NA Standing Committee on Health, Maternity and Childhood Ara Babloyan noted in his word that the draft law had been elaborated for many years and it had been circulated in December 2012.
The representative of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Armenia Henriette Ahrens, and Director of World Vision Armenia organization Graham Strong welcomed the participants. Thanking for important discussions they noted that they would make all efforts in order to support the adoption of this law and the provision of the population’s awareness.
The RA NA deputy Lyudmila Sargsyan said that the initiative of encouraging the breastfeeding had already begun in 1993.
The Head of the Mother and Child Health Protection Department of the RA Ministry of Healthcare Karine Saribekyan touched upon the situation of breastfeeding abroad.
Then question and answer session was held and the concerned departments presented recommendations.