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.
The webinar discussed the role of HMBs in the protection, promotion, and support of breastfeeding in the context of COVID-19, and shared on-the-ground experiences dealing with the effects of COVID-19 on the HMB establishment and operations including human milk donor mobilization and screening.
A&T, in coordination with the HMB network and other experts, drafted regional minimum standards and ethical considerations for HMBs, which were also disseminated during the webinar. The draft standards are being revised based on discussions during the webinar and will be undergo final reviews by the end of the year.