Mongolia uses AI to strengthen Code implementation and monitoring

Source: Alive & Thrive

Mongolia is the first country in East Asia to have a comprehensive law to give effect to the International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes (the Code).

With significant economic growth in recent years, Mongolia has become a target market for commercial milk formula and foods for infants and young children. In response, Alive & Thrive has partnered with UNICEF Mongolia and the Anti-Monopoly Agency of Mongolia to develop the Code Monitoring Digital Platform, which includes an artificial intelligence-powered Virtual Violations Detector (VIVID) monitoring tool, an online reporting form, and a Code resource hub.

In March 2025, a user acceptance testing workshop was held in Ulaanbaatar to gather feedback to inform final revisions of the platform and sensitize the government officials to the history and principles of the Code. Once launched, the platform will support Mongolia’s government in protecting breastfeeding from unethical marketing by strengthening Code monitoring and enforcement.