Breastmilk is more than food — it’s medicine, immunity and bonding in one. For vulnerable infants (preterm, low-birthweight or orphaned babies), human milk dramatically lowers the risk of infections, supports brain development and improves survival chances. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, followed by appropriate complementary feeding while continuing breastfeeding up to two years or beyond.
What the data say about breastfeeding in Ghana
Ghana’s most recent Demographic and Health Survey shows mixed progress. The 2022 GDHS and Ghana Statistical Service reporting indicate that roughly half of infants under six months are being exclusively breastfed — meaning about 52–53% receive only breastmilk in that period, leaving nearly half who do not. This stagnation over recent decades highlights ongoing barriers mothers face.
Why this matters: global and national evidence links early and exclusive breastfeeding with major reductions in newborn and infant deaths. Initiating breastfeeding within the first hour of life can reduce newborn mortality, and widespread exclusive breastfeeding could prevent a large number of child deaths in the coming decade.
Human milk for vulnerable infants: benefits & use-cases
For fragile infants — especially preterm or those in neonatal units — mother’s own milk is best. When a mother’s milk is unavailable, screened donor human milk (pasteurized and handled in a human milk bank) is the preferred alternative to formula because it retains immune factors and reduces necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and infection risk among preterm babies.
Ghanaian research and acceptability studies show strong community interest in establishing human milk banks, but also highlight gaps: awareness, policies, infrastructure and donor screening systems need building before milk banks can scale safely. Recent local clinical initiatives have begun establishing milk bank services to meet this need.
Milk-sharing vs. milk banks: safety matters
Informal milk-sharing (direct feeding from one mother to another, or sharing unprocessed expressed milk) occurs in some communities for reasons such as insufficient milk supply or maternal absence. Studies report that a minority of Ghanaian women have shared milk informally — motivations are often altruistic, but risks include transmission of infections or contamination when milk is not screened or pasteurized.
Safe alternatives and best practices:
* Prioritize mother’s own milk whenever possible (support lactation, early skin-to-skin, lactation counselling).
* Use screened, pasteurized donor milk from an accredited human milk bank for vulnerable infants when maternal milk is not available. Milk banks follow medical screening and pasteurization standards to minimize risk.
* If informal sharing is the only option, seek health-worker guidance about safe collection, storage and rapid feeding — but recognize this is not equivalent to processed donor milk. Health services should be involved.
Practical steps for health workers and communities
1. Protect early initiation: support mothers to start breastfeeding within one hour of birth to reduce newborn mortality.
2. Strengthen lactation support: train community health nurses to provide practical help for attachment, expression and managing low supply.
3. Raise awareness about human milk banking: public information campaigns can build understanding and trust for donor-milk program.
4. Develop policy & infrastructure: hospitals and the Ministry of Health should prioritize guidelines, screening protocols and funding for milk bank services where feasible.
Finally, human milk saves lives. For Ghanaian vulnerable infants, scaling mother-support programs and safe donor-milk services — alongside community education to reduce stigma — offers an evidence-based route to improved survival and lifelong health. If you’re a mother, health worker or policymaker, champion lactation support, informed choices and safe donation practices to ensure every baby gets the best possible start.
