In 2017, Singapore’s first Donor Human Milk Bank to provide pasteurised human milk for premature or sick infants was established and have successful outcomes from the number of infants who benefit, to recruitment of human milk donors, and the reduction in the incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis, a life-threatening intestinal disease in premature and sick infants who are fed formula milk.

With these successful outcomes, the Donor Human Milk Bank programme is expanding to benefit vulnerable infants in the community and special care nurseries. The Community Milk Bank programme will benefit infants from vulnerable backgrounds whose mothers are:

1. Unable to breastfeed due to: health conditions (mental and physical); insufficient supply; medical treatment; being on medication; treatment for substance abuse
2. Non-biological parents or deceased

To meet the increased demand, the current Milk Bank will expand current capacity by three times, and build a supply chain capability to collect, trace and dispense human milk for both donors and beneficiaries.