China's human milk banks are struggling to survive due to a lack of donors¹ and high costs, reports the Xinhua news agency.

 

新华社报道，由于缺少捐赠人与高成本，中国母乳库运行艰难。

 

The news comes as the country marked National Breastfeeding Awareness² Day.

 

Wu Wenyi, director of the breast milk bank in Taihe Maternity³ Hospital, told Xinhua that as the service doesn't accept frozen milk, women are required to donate milk in person.

 

Wu added that the screening process is also complicated, and that many Chinese people are unaware⁴ of such milk banks, which has led to an inadequate⁵ supply. 

 

Massive expenditure⁶ is another big challenge for the country's milk banks as most of them are nonprofit, according to Xinhua. 

 

Wu Wenyi said it costs the hospital about 1200 yuan (about $US 174) for each 150 milliliters of breast milk, and the hospital spends at least 300,000 yuan (about 43,586 USD) on running costs each year.

 

Established in March 2016 as the first nonprofit milk bank in Beijing, the facility at the Taihe Maternity Hospital has collected nearly 40 liters of breast milk from 150 mothers, Wu said.

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