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Subject:
From:
Susan Burger <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Sun, 8 Oct 2006 08:40:26 -0400
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Dear all:

Having worked in many countries in Africa, I've been thinking a bit about the recent call for 
donations for human milk in Africa.  In many ways this reminds me of the inherantly flawed 
system that we have developed for dumping excess foods into food distribution programs rather 
than dealing with the root causes of maldistribution of food to begin with.  While I certainly would 
never want any displaced person anywhere to be deprived of food, the emphasis has been so 
severely skewed that many preventable situations are not prevented.  About 15 years ago, the 
amount of money set aside for emergency conditions was about 100 times higher than for 
programs to eliminate the root cause of malnutrition.  And trust me, there are successes out there 
that empower the local experts to set up sustainable programs for addressing these problems.  
Starving children and famine are newworthy --- they catch our hearts.  It makes us want to do 
something right away.  BUT the more mundane work of preventing those famines to begin with are 
not interesting to watcth on TV.

So, how does this apply to sending our first world milk off to Africa?  It does not set up sustainable 
systems in Africa.  Right now I'm starting to think about the shipping costs.  I was horrified one 
time to discover when a pharmaceutical company donated almost expired iron supplements.  
Sounds good right?  The shippping costs far exceeded the cost of buying fresh iron supplements.  
Better to develop local production of those iron supplements.  We're talking tens of thousands of 
dollars for a one time donation of iron supplements that probably would not even have lasted in 
the hot environment they were being sent to.  I can't tell you what heat can do to even the best 
sealed containers.

I'm starting to think about what the shipping costs of sending frozen milk to Africa would be and 
its probably astronomically higher than the cost of setting up local human donor milk banks that 
would have appropriate screening in place.  

Finally, one has to realize that sometimes these so-called donations are actually fronts for 
research.  

So, anyone know who is the source of this human donor milk?  Is it from a true not for profit 
organization?

Best regards, Susan Burger

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