TABLE 1.

Key provisions of the Ethiopian legislations according to the international code of marketing of breast‐milk substitutes within legal measures

Provisions with legal measures	Provisions under Ethiopian Laws
Products covered
Infant formula	Yes
Follow‐up formula	Yes
Complimentary food	Yes
Feeding bottles, teats, and pacifiers	Yes
Milk for mothers	Yes
Other designated products	Yes
Milk products covered up to age	Not clear
Complementary foods covered up to age	Not clear
Informational/educational materials covered	No
Required information for informational/educational materials
Benefit and superiority of breastfeeding	No
Maternal nutrition and preparation for and maintenance of breastfeeding	No
Negative effect on breastfeeding or bottle‐feeding	No
Difficulty reversing the decision not to breastfeed	No
Proper use of infant formula	No
Required information for materials on breastmilk substitute
Social and financial implication	No
Health hazards of inappropriate feeding	No
Health hazards of inappropriate use	No
Prohibition of pictures/text idealizing breastmilk substitute	Partial restriction
Approval required for donation of company materials	No
Prohibitions of promotion to the general public
Advertising	Partial restriction
Sales device	Some restrictions
Sample and gift, and contact with mothers	Yes
Prohibitions of promotion to health workers/facilities
Provision of low‐cost supplies	No
Materials and gifts
Required information on labels of breastmilk substitutes
Recommended age of introduction	No
Message on the superiority of breastfeeding	Yes
Only to be used on the advice of health workers.	Yes
Preparation instructions	Yes
Bans of pictures/text idealizing infant formula	Yes
Warning on pathogenic microorganisms	No
Ban on nutrition and health claims	Yes
Criteria for monitoring mechanism
Mandates monitoring mechanism	No
Independent and transparent	No
Free from commercial interest	No
Empowered to investigate code violation	No
Empowered to impose a sanction	No