Ministry of health establishes bank for mothers to donate breast milk

The Ministry of Health in collaboration with St Francis Hospital Nsambya are establishing the first human breast milk bank in the country to cater for the unserved babies especially those born before the due date.

Dr Jessica Nsungwa the commissioner for child health at ministry of health said the establishment, expected to start operating by end of the year, will allow those eligible mothers with extra breast milk who can volunteer, to donate free of charge for the start.

“Mainly, we target small, premature and those babies whose mothers do not have breast milk. Like that of blood, it will enable the breast milk to be stored for as long as you want compared to the 24 hours which it can be stored at room temperature,” Dr Nsungwa said.

Dr Nsungwa said the bank is one of the initiatives aimed at saving more lives of premature babies in the country who need human breast milk which contains the appropriate temperature and constitutes the right nutrients.

“In many hospitals, we are already asking mothers and health workers at the wards to donate breast milk to those babies whose mothers do not have enough. So what we are doing now is expanding and popularising it,” she added.

A fundraising event to procure a pumping machine and train health workers for the bank has also been scheduled for this month on November 24, at the Pope Square under the theme “Come Save a Premature Baby”.

The World Health Organisation recommends breastfeeding as the normal way of providing young infants with the nutrients they need for healthy growth and development. Exclusive breastfeeding is also recommended up to six months of age, with continued breastfeeding along with appropriate complementary foods up to two years of age or beyond to boost the baby’s immunity and protect them from infections.

In Uganda, newborn deaths contribute to 42 per cent of death in children under five and prematurity is the leading cause of newborn deaths. Out of the approximately 108,000 children who are born prematurely every year, 11,700 newborns die due to complications of prematurity.