The program has, however, raised eyebrows with critics saying it violates a royal decree governing alternatives to breastfeeding.

“The claim to raise awareness about health is only a ploy under which the representatives of the milk companies will promote bottle-feeding,” said Dr. Zaynab Abu Razizah, a consultant in family medicine and coordinator of the breast-feeding program at primary health centers in Makkah. She added that all artificial milk companies are forbidden from entering hospitals and clinics, which are also forbidden from cooperating with them in any way.

Abu Razizah said the decision to allow representatives of artificial milk companies to carry out awareness programs in health institutions is against a decision issued by the Council of Ministers, a circular issued by the Ministry of Health and international codes of conduct.

“The informal agreement signed by the Department of Health Affairs in Makkah with these two milk companies is in violation of all circulars we have earlier issued preventing such firms and their representatives from entering health establishments. These courses will ultimately promote artificial milk and bottle-feeding over breast-feeding,” she added.

“What would make an official abandon his responsibility, break laws and regulations, undermine people’s health, openly announce his support of artificial milk companies and open health center doors to these companies to promote their products?” she said.

Abu Razizah said she has defied the director of the Training and Education Center at the Primary Health Care Department who insisted on allowing a female representative of an artificial milk company to deliver a lecture about bottle-feeding during a special training course on breastfeeding. “I kicked her out and as a reward the director of the center canceled all our programs and activities for the rest of the year,” she said.

She said she has reported these violations to officials but no action has been taken against the director. “Ironically, a few days after the incident, the same man wrote in local newspapers calling for the application of international norms on breast-feeding and asked for violators to be punished.”

She stressed that the health awareness program approved by the Department of Health Affairs in Makkah and which permits representatives of artificial milk companies to deliver lectures on bottle-feeding is against the rules. “They allege that these companies spread health awareness through their daily presence in health centers. It’s like putting honey in poison. There should not be any exceptions to laws and rules,” she said.

Abu Razizah also said it is a violation of the rules for the directors of health centers to cooperate with representatives of milk companies despite the presence of qualified and accredited experts in breast-feeding at these centers.

She said officials at the Department of Health Affairs have ignored her calls to abrogate the agreement.

According to statistics, the number of mothers who breast-feed their children reached 40,000 last year. “This is the result of six years of hard work which has been abandoned overnight by the agreement,” she said.