Namibia’s breast bank calls for donors

WINDHOEK: Namibia Breast Milk Bank (NBMB) is in dire need of milk and more nursing mothers are needed for the growing number of registered babies, an official said.

The bank simply does not have enough breast milk donors, an issue that remains its greatest challenge at this point, said NBMB co-ordinator Birgit Mayer on Sunday.

“Although we have a few regular donors, we are in need of more mothers to contribute to the success of the bank.

“We need more breast milk and are truly grateful for those mothers that have supported us since the inception of the bank.”

Established in April 2018 and inaugurated in August 2019, the bank has been able to cater for more than 100 babies, Mayer added.

One of the main supporters of the NBMB, the Ohlthaver & List Group, said they assisted the milk bank with operational/ administrative costs and were calling on other corporations to reach out to the bank and contribute to its success.

Mayer, meanwhile, said despite the current progress, there was still room for improvement.

“We need more working space.

“Public response has improved since the official inauguration, more mothers came forward to donate their extra supply of milk and more people are now aware of the bank and its purpose.”

The human milk bank is a service that screens, collects, processes and distributes human breast milk to feed premature babies in cases when parent mothers cannot produce enough of their own breast milk.