The Government has recently introduced new regulations to tighten the management of breast-milk substitute promotions, particularly within healthcare settings. The primary objective is to safeguard infant welfare and ensure that mothers receive objective, scientific advice rather than being influenced by commercial interests.
Under the new legal framework, violations are categorized into several penalty levels:
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Fines from 1 to 5 million VND: Applicable for providing misleading information regarding the value of formula compared to breast milk, advising the use of substitutes for infants under 6 months without medical orders, or lack of transparency in nutritional guidance.
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Fines from 5 to 10 million VND: Targeted at operational misconduct within hospitals, such as selling substitutes (outside of pharmacies), displaying brand logos, or allowing dairy company representatives to contact postpartum mothers.
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Fines from 10 to 20 million VND: Applicable to large-scale promotional activities, including displaying advertisements, implementing promotions (gifts, discounts), or exploiting educational and scientific sponsorships for product marketing.
A notable point is the strict prohibition on selling or providing patients’ personal data to nutrition enterprises. All forms of gift-giving or sampling at medical facilities are also suspended to prevent the commercialization of the healthcare environment.
The health sector continues to emphasize the vital importance of breastfeeding during the first 24 months of life. These financial sanctions (with fines for organizations being double those for individuals) are expected to curb unregulated marketing campaigns, thereby improving the rate of children accessing optimal natural nutrition.