First breast milk bank established at UGMC

The University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC), in collaboration with the Indiana University School of Public Health, has established the first human milk bank in the country.

The bank, which is the ninth of its kind in Africa, would collect human breast milk donated by nursing mothers, screen, process, store and distribute it to vulnerable babies, including pre-term, premature and orphans, for free.

This is aimed at reducing the infant mortality rate in the country and also bridging the gap for families in need of breastmilk for babies.

The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, launched the initiative at UGMC in Accra yesterday.

Situation

Over 128,000 babies are born prematurely in the country each year. And for babies who are too premature or ill to breastfeed, especially those in NICU, donor human milk is the next best alternative. Apart from breast milk being food, it is also medicinal as it strengthens immunity, fosters brain development, protects against infections, and lowers the risk of chronic diseases later in life.

“Across the world, over 700 human milk banks are saving lives, and Ghana proudly joins this global movement today.

“This human milk bank is more than a facility, it is a promise that no child in Ghana will be left behind in the crucial first days of life simply because they cannot access the nourishment they need,” the minister said.

He said as part of the resetting agenda of the government, they were committed to enhancing access to high-quality neonatal care, including scaling up NICUs and kangaroo mother care units, among other initiatives.

The minister said that his outfit, in collaboration with other stakeholders, would launch a public education campaign to raise awareness of the importance of breast milk donation and human milk banking.

Donation

The Head of the Paediatric Department of UGMC, Dr Beatrice Nyann, said nursing mothers who were willing to donate breast milk to the bank could walk into the centre at any time to do so.

However, she said, they would first be subjected to examination to see if they were fit to do so.

She said staff were currently being trained in the collection of breast milk.

From next month, Dr Nyann said the distribution of the human milk would start, first with in-house patients at the centre, before it would be escalated to other areas.

The Chief Executive Officer of UGMC, Dr Abdul-Samed Tanko, said the centre was a baby-friendly institution that sought to promote infant and child health, as a result, they were constantly looking for innovative ways to improve healthcare delivery for all patients.

“Human milk is uniquely tailored to meet the nutritional needs of babies and infants.

The World Health Organisation recommends that a mother's breast milk is the best milk for newborns. 

“However, when unavailable, pasteurised donor human milk is recommended as the next best alternative,” he said.

Dr Tanko said that while the initiative presents opportunities for collaboration with healthcare providers, researchers, and communities to promote breastfeeding and improve infant health, it also comes with challenges, particularly recruiting milk donors and ensuring the safety and quality of the donated milk.

Infant mortality

The initiator and sponsor of the project, Professor Cecilia Obeng, said infant mortality was a huge problem in Ghana, and expressed the hope that between now and three years, the country’s infant mortality rate would decline.

She cited the examples of Brazil and Kenya, which experienced a reduction in their infant mortality rate after adopting the initiative.

Prof. Obeng, therefore, appealed to nursing mothers who have a lot of breast milk to share to donate to the centre.