Human Milk Banking in South East Asia

17-03-2021 | Posted in General News Milk Banks

Human Milk Banking in South East Asia

The regional Human Milk Banking Network of South East Asia, consists of Human Milk Banks in the countries of the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand and was formed in 2019.  There are 3 Human Milk Banks in Vietnam, all of whom use Sterifeed Pasteurisers. There is one Human Milk Bank in Singapore, The National Milk Bank in Singapore which use 2 Sterifeed pasteurisers.  In Thailand there are 4 Human Milk Banks, 2 in Bangkok, one in the South and one in the North of Thailand all of whom use Sterifeed pasteurisers.  There are 2 Huan Milk Banks operating in Myanmar both of whom use Sterifeed Pasteurisers. The Philippines is the country with the most milk banks in the region with 24 Human Milk Banks of which 12 of these use Sterifeed pasteurisers.

Human milk banks (HMBs) provide safe, high-quality donor milk to infants who need it most.

The first six months of life are critical for child health and development. Breastmilk provides all the nutrients infants need during this period, supporting brain development and reducing the risk of infection and malnutrition. When mothers are not able to provide their babies with their own breastmilk, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends providing donor human milk as the next best option. Human milk banks (HMBs) provide safe, high-quality donor milk to infants who need it most. A supportive breastfeeding environment is crucial to the success of an HMB.

Alive & Thrive (A&T)  have been very active in promoting Human Milk Banking in Vietnam and South East Asia. Alive & Thrive (A&T)strives to create an enabling environment for building and supporting knowledge and capacity for excellence and innovation in social behaviour change, policy advocacy, delivery of quality maternal, infant, and young child nutrition (MIYCN) services, and the strategic use of data. They have

First-ever Southeast Asia regional webinar on human milk banking in the context of COVID-19

More than 500 stakeholders participated in the first-ever regional human milk bank webinar with A&T support. The Regional Human Milk Bank (HMB) Network for Southeast Asia and Beyond hosted the webinar “Human Milk Banking during the COVID-19 Pandemic,” which drew participants from around the world.

Myanmar’s first Human Milk Bank upgraded to international best practices (unicef.org)

Sterifeed is delighted to have been able supply the pasteurisers for the Human milk Bank in Myanmar.

The high-quality human milk bank was upgraded from its original facility opened in 1994. “Even prior to its upgrade, the Human Milk Bank significantly contributed to a neonatal mortality rate reduction at Yangon Central Women’s Hospital from 35 per 1,000 live births in 1991 to 17 per 1,000 live births in 2017 even before upgrading the facility,” lauded Dr Nant San San Aye, Human Milk Bank Coordinator.

Singapore launches first human milk bank | South China Morning Post (scmp.com)

The National Human Milk Bank in Singapore has this year purchased their second Sterifeed S90 pasteuriser and also uses the Sterifeed foil seal system for the optimum treatment of human milk in the pasteuriser as the foil seal system allows the the entire bottle to be submerged during the heating and cooling process of the pasteuriser. Other pasteurisers on the market do not submerge the bottle and therefore the cap is not treated.

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