Asia’s First Breast Milk Bank

Context: Sion Hospital in Mumbai, home to Asia’s first breast milk bank, has seen over 43,000 mothers donate milk, benefiting 10,500 newborns over the past five years.

• Milk Collection Process: Milk is donated by nursing mothers, then it undergoes rigorous testing, pasteurization, and is stored at temperatures below -20°C to ensure its safety for infants.
• Impact: This initiative significantly contributes to reducing mortality rates among low birth weight and at-risk newborns.
• Eligibility for Donation: Any healthy lactating mother without conditions such as HIV, hepatitis, or venereal diseases is eligible to donate breast milk.

Vatsalya – Maatri Amrit Kosh

• Overview: This is a national human milk bank and lactation counseling center, dedicated to collecting, pasteurizing, testing, and storing breast milk for infants in need.
• Establishment: It was set up under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) in collaboration with the Norwegian government, Oslo University, and the Norway India Partnership Initiative (NIPI).
• Services: The center offers lactation counseling to breastfeeding mothers and serves as a model for teaching, training, and demonstrating the operations of other milk banks.

MAA – Mother’s Absolute Affection Programme

• Purpose: This nationwide initiative by MoHFW aims to promote breastfeeding and provide counseling services within the healthcare system.
• Activities: The program runs awareness campaigns, strengthens lactation support in healthcare facilities, and rewards those with high breastfeeding rates and effective management practices.