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Human milk banks (HMBs) provide a lifesaving alternative for high-risk babies who lack access to their own mother’s milk.
Yet until recently, no universal standards for establishing and operating safe, quality controlled and integrated HMBs existed.
Supported by FLRF, the Geneva-based Foundation for Appropriate Technologies in Health (FATH) – including its parent PATH – led a group of international experts to develop Strengthening Human Milk Banking: A Resource Toolkit for Establishing and Integrating Human Milk Banks, the comprehensive package of standards and best practices to guide implementation of HMBs as integrated programs within existing newborn and nutrition programming.
Strengthening Human Milk Banking: A Resource Toolkit for Establishing and Integrating Human Milk Banks is available here on LactaHub.
Customizable for application across a range of geographies, the tools are free of charge and intended to ensure quality, safety, efficacy and sustainability in HMBs. Their creators hope they will help to protect and promote breastfeeding and support the pivotal role HMBs play in increasing global access to breastmilk.
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Kimani-Murage EW, Wanjohi MN, Kamande EW, Macharia TN, Mwaniki E, Zerfu T, et al. Perceptions on donated human milk and human milk banking in Nairobi, Kenya. Matern Child Nutr. 2019;15(4):e12842. DOI: 10.1111/mcn.12842
Chugh Sachdeva R, Mondkar J, Shanbhag S, Manuhar M, Khan A, Dasgupta R, et al. A qualitative analysis of the barriers and facilitators for breastfeeding and kangaroo mother care among service providers, mothers and influencers of neonates admitted in two urban hospitals in India. Breastfeed Med. 2019;14(2):108–14. DOI: 10.1089/bfm.20
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