A growing number of caregivers in Uganda are turning to breast milk donation to save the lives of premature and orphaned babies. - REUTERS
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Premature babies in Uganda are getting a fresh chance at survival, with donated breast milk.
00:08A growing number of caregivers in Uganda are turning to these donations to save the lives of those born premature and left orphaned.
00:16Like Mercy Balibabwe's baby, who weighed just one kilogram, or about two pounds, when she was adopted.
00:23Then I started giving the baby the blessed miracle, and when the baby gained that 1.5,
00:30we were able to be discharged from Ragos Petro to go home.
00:36Prematurity remains the leading cause of death for children under five globally, and Uganda is no exception.
00:43For many of these infants, the lack of access to breast milk, especially when a mother is ill, absent, or unable to produce milk, can be fatal.
00:52To address this, Uganda's health system has turned to human milk banks.
00:57Neonatal doctor Victoria Nakibuka runs the country's largest facility, based in Kampala.
01:04We've been able to serve over 300 babies, and we've had over 500 donors.
01:11One of those enterprises working to make breast milk accessible is the ATA breast milk community.
01:17Since its launch in 2021, ATA has helped more than 650 infants across Uganda.
01:25All donors undergo strict screening for infections, such as HIV, hepatitis, and syphilis, and the milk is processed to ensure safety.
01:35The idea of shared breast milk remains culturally sensitive, and deep-rooted fears fuel resistance in parts of Uganda.
01:43But research by UNICEF shows that acceptance rose significantly when local health workers explained the purpose behind milk sharing.
01:52The main thing is proper education of the communities, and then some of these cultural barriers can be overcome.
01:59The Ugandan government is now taking steps to scale up the initiative, to meet rising demand for donated milk nationwide.
02:07For Balibabwe and her adopted daughter, breast milk sharing was not just a medical solution.
02:13It was a gift of survival.
02:16The name of the company is being mandated for those ages.
02:17It was a gift of spiritual and labour to make massệc.
02:19There was a gift of spiritual thehaven to make possible mental health to weighting the needs of other people for adults.
02:22The final amount of money has been submitted in the process and protected the nature of customer service.
02:24The final amount of money has been put in the process of the car.
02:26This allows you to specialize in the car.
02:27The third amount of money seems to operate from the UnknownIAN вроде.
02:28This is the Nativectal project.
02:30The first is the Namen from the aime.
02:31The diferencia of the world has been crucified.
02:32It's in the Metropolitan wartime, but the third is to reach the Rim Stechland.
02:34In the olden, the third of the Pandora.
02:35The first is not just a metaphor for the last time.
02:37The Assembly is the mechanical cinema that Rodriguez represented,