Kenya's only breastmilk bank lifeline for ill and premature babies

At Nairobi’s Pumwani Maternity Hospital, newborns are being fed with donated breastmilk through incubator care.

The hospital operates Kenya’s only breastmilk bank, providing life-saving nutrition to premature infants, abandoned babies, and those whose mothers are ill or deceased. The service gives babies vital antibodies and helps them gain weight rapidly, but challenges persist.

Milk cannot be supplied outside the hospital due to policy restrictions, leaving discharged infants without continued access. Funding is also limited, with essential equipment only available from Europe or the US, making procurement difficult. The facility depends on mothers with surplus milk who donate daily to support vulnerable newborns.