illustrative image (Source: VNA)Da Nang (VNA) –A breast milk bank opened at the Da Nang Hospital for Women and Children onFebruary 17, aiming at providing milk for 3,000 – 4,000 babies per year.
The bank, the first of itskind in Vietnam, will collect, sterilise, test and preserve donated mother’s milkand provide it for disadvantaged infants while offering consultations on breastfeeding.
Deputy Director of theMinistry of Health's Maternal and Child Health Department Tran DangKhoa said breastfeeding helps enhance babies’ health, and expressed his hopethat the bank will help all local children access to safe mother’s milk nomatter what circumstances they are born.
It is also expected to lay afoundation for the ministry to expand the model to other medical facilities,Khoa added.
Ngo Thi Kim Yen, Director ofthe Da Nang Health Department, highlighted the establishment of the bank,saying that it will promote breastfeeding and health care for infants in thecity as well as in the central and Central Highlands regions.
The internationalstandards-met bank is funded by the Margaret A.Cargill Fund and the Bill &Melinda Gates Fund. The bank staff have received technical training withsupport from several international non-government organisations.
Despite positive achievementsin child health care, the under-five mortality rate in Vietnam is stillhigh, standing at 22 per thousand or 33,000 children per year.
Studies show thatbreastfeeding is among the measures to reduce the mortality rate among kids.-VNA
The bank, the first of itskind in Vietnam, will collect, sterilise, test and preserve donated mother’s milkand provide it for disadvantaged infants while offering consultations on breastfeeding.
Deputy Director of theMinistry of Health's Maternal and Child Health Department Tran DangKhoa said breastfeeding helps enhance babies’ health, and expressed his hopethat the bank will help all local children access to safe mother’s milk nomatter what circumstances they are born.
It is also expected to lay afoundation for the ministry to expand the model to other medical facilities,Khoa added.
Ngo Thi Kim Yen, Director ofthe Da Nang Health Department, highlighted the establishment of the bank,saying that it will promote breastfeeding and health care for infants in thecity as well as in the central and Central Highlands regions.
The internationalstandards-met bank is funded by the Margaret A.Cargill Fund and the Bill &Melinda Gates Fund. The bank staff have received technical training withsupport from several international non-government organisations.
Despite positive achievementsin child health care, the under-five mortality rate in Vietnam is stillhigh, standing at 22 per thousand or 33,000 children per year.
Studies show thatbreastfeeding is among the measures to reduce the mortality rate among kids.-VNA
VNA
