Sindh closes breast milk bank and transfers initiative to Islamic Ideology Council

The Sindh Institute of Child Health and Neonatology (SICHN) said this week that the operations of Pakistan’s first breast milk bank, established earlier this month, had been suspended until further notice by the Council of Islamic Ideology.

A human milk bank, or lactarium, is a service that collects, tests, processes, pasteurizes and dispenses breast milk on prescription from breastfeeding mothers who are not biologically related to the recipient child. For women who are not breastfeeding or cannot produce enough milk, pasteurized donated breast milk can be an effective method of nutrition. SICHN announced its human milk bank, the first in Pakistan established in partnership with UNICEF, earlier this month, calling it a “significant milestone for maternal health.”

“A recently revised fatwa by Darul Uloom Karachi dated June 16, 2024 has prompted us to cease the functioning of the Human Milk Bank. This decision is in line with the updated religious guidelines and reflects our continued commitment to operate within the framework of Islamic jurisprudence,” SICHN said in a June 21 statement.

“In the future, we will seek further advice from Darul Uloom Karachi and the Council of Islamic Ideology on this matter,” the statement added, referring to a religious body that advises the government on the compatibility of laws with Islam. SICHN said the milk bank was initially set up after a fatwa was sought and received from Darul Uloom Karachi, “which gave us the necessary religious approval to proceed.”

“This fatwa was crucial to ensure that our efforts are in line with the teachings of Islam and to provide reassurance to the community and stakeholders involved,” the institute said.

The fatwa specifies certain conditions for setting up the milk bank, including that Muslim children may only receive milk from Muslim mothers.