Brazilian human milk banks are a reference worldwide

Brazilian milk bank professionals have been in Maputo (Mozambique) for the last 12 months to train the staff of the local Human Milk Bank. This was the latest of many occasions in which Brazil exported knowledge and practices to support breastfeeding, a practice that began almost 30 years ago.

“In the late 1990s, the Brazilian human milk bank network won a World Health Organization good practices award. As a result, Brazil gained visibility, and other governments began taking an interest in this model, which goes beyond the simple distribution of breast milk," explains the manager of the Human Milk Bank of the Fernandes Figueira Institute, part of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (BLH-IFF/Fiocruz), Danielle Aparecida Silva.

The creation of the Brazilian model for milk banks was a response to the high rates of infant mortality in the country, and followed a worldwide trend of reducing these indices with measures focused on breastfeeding. “The goal of the Ministry of Health at the time was to reduce mortality, not only in neonatal ICUs but more broadly as well," explains Danielle.

In 1996, the Ministry of Health and Fiocruz began developing a Technical Cooperation Programme with Venezuela, the first country to get to Brazilian Human Milk Bank technologies more closely. In 2003, the neighbouring country prepared a Technical Manual on Human Milk Banks, following the Brazilian model.

Integral assistance

Aparecida explains that the success of the Brazilian model for milk banks goes beyond the distribution of breast milk. “What we offer boils down to two main processes – assistance to the mother and the product itself – to ensure the food safety of babies. We have brought breastfeeding support and advocacy into milk banks. In them, women can get their questions answered and learn more about all the issues that can occur during breastfeeding so that they can breastfeed according to WHO guidelines.”