Every drop counts: Safeguarding the future of Hong Kong
Hong Kong Breast Milk Bank
Hong Kong Island Cluster / Kowloon Central Cluster / Kowloon East Cluster / Kowloon West Cluster / New Territories East Cluster / New Territories West Cluster / Hospital Authority Head Office
Driven by the belief to safeguard all precious little lives, the Team began planning the establishment of the Hong Kong Breast Milk Bank (HKBMB) in late 2023, aiming to provide safe and high-quality pasteurised donor breast milk to infants in need. This multidisciplinary team brought together over 50 professionals from across all hospital clusters, pooling expertise from paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology, pathology, infectious diseases specialists, dietetics, information technology, and Hospital Authority Head Office. The Team shares, "we deeply appreciate everyone's dedication to going the extra mile for our patients. For instance, when Typhoon Signal No. 10 hit Hong Kong last year, our team member returned to the hospital as soon as the weather stabilised without hesitation, to pasteurise a batch of thawed donor milk within the strict timeframe, to ensure that not a single drop of this precious milk was lost, safeguarding the love and hope in every drop."
The HKBMB began operations in January 2025. As of 31 March of this year, it has collected over 3,200 liters of breast milk, benefiting over 530 newborns. Among these was a premature baby with severe necrotising enterocolitis. The mother felt very guilty as she could not produce breast milk initially. Fortunately, timely provision of donor milk from the HKBMB provided the baby with essential natural nutrition. With continuous nurse support, the mother tried pumping, and had enough milk to nurse the baby herself by discharge – sustaining the infant and restoring her confidence. In this January, the Team has successfully sought support from The Incorporated Trustees of the Islamic Community Fund of Hong Kong for donor milk use among Muslim babies, bridging communities to preserve lives.
Continuing the mission to safeguard lives, the Team will also enhance research efforts with a focus on the nutritional analysis of breast milk, facilitating more precise fortifier dosages and a better matching of collected milk to the needs of infants.
