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Brazil on Way to Implant Nationwide Free Mother's Milk Bank |
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Written by Cristina Índio do Brasil
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Monday, 03 October 2005 |
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In 2004 Brazil set a new record in human maternal milk collection, with 160,000 liters from some 10,000 mothers that was given to more than 110,000 babies. The total amount of maternal milk collected in 2004 was double the amount collected in 2003.
The Ministry of Health would like to set up a nationwide collection and distribution network for maternal milk, making it available, free of charge, to anyone who needs it. Such a program already exists in Rio de Janeiro.
The Brazilian maternal milk program has been implanted in Venezuela, Uruguay, Ecuador and Argentina. "We are very proud of the program. It is based exclusively on Brazilian technology," says João Aprigio Almeida, who coordinates the effort.
He explains that Brasilia is self-sufficient in maternal milk, collecting some 21,000 liters annually. "We want to do that throughout the country. We want to be able to provide human maternal milk to anyone who needs it anywhere in Brazil."
ABr
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