Donor milk access in low- and middle-income countries: Overcoming barriers to protect vulnerable newborns

Q: What does this research mean for the field?

Human milk banks are profoundly scarce in low- and middle-income countries despite being a lifesaving intervention for the high number of vulnerable neonates in these regions, necessitating urgent infrastructure investments. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.SYNTHESIS. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

Shahid Akhtar Siddiqui; Nandita Mishra; Rajesh Kumar Yadav; Anubha Shrivastava; Manisha Maurya

doi:10.1177/00494755261488607

September 11, 2026Tropical Doctor

Donor milk access in low- and middle-income countries: Overcoming barriers to protect vulnerable newborns

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Key Points

Highlight the severe global disparity in human milk bank availability and advocate for infrastructure investment to protect premature neonates in low- and middle-income countries.
Evaluated the geographic distribution of human milk banks relative to regions with high burdens of neonatal vulnerability and infant mortality.
Assessed infrastructure gaps limiting access to pasteurised donor human milk across tropical low- and middle-income settings.
The vast majority of premature and clinically vulnerable neonates are born in low- and middle-income countries where infant mortality rates remain elevated.
Human milk banks are critically scarce in the tropical regions that carry the highest clinical demand for donor human milk.
Urgent, scaled investments in milk banking infrastructure are needed to overcome access barriers and provide equitable neonatal protection.

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Implication

Global health report demonstrates severe shortages of donor milk for vulnerable neonates in developing regions, highlighting urgent needs for banking infrastructure.

Abstract

The vast majority of vulnerable and premature neonates are born in low- and middle-income countries where infant mortality remains high. Pasteurised donor human milk is a lifesaving intervention for these infants; yet, human milk banks are profoundly scarce in the very regions that need them most. This report highlights this geographic imbalance and calls for urgent infrastructure investments to scale up human milk banking across the global tropics.

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Cite This Study

Siddiqui et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6aa7b3580926e14a848b234a https://doi.org/10.1177/00494755261488607

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Donor milk access in low- and middle-income countries: Overcoming barriers to protect vulnerable newborns

Key Points

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Implication

Abstract

Discussion

Cite This Study

Donor milk access in low- and middle-income countries: Overcoming barriers to protect vulnerable newborns

Key Points

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Implication

Abstract

Discussion

Cite This Study

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