Here’s why Pakistan’s first human milk bank initiative suspended

The Sindh Institute of Child Health and Neonatology (SICHN) on Saturday suspended country’s first human milk bank project to seek further guidance from the Council of Islamic Ideology(CCI).

SICHN earlier this month announced its human milk bank facility, Pakistan’s first such initiative, established in collaboration with UNICEF.In a statement, SICHN said: “A recent revised fatwa issued by Darul Uloom Karachi dated 16ht June 2024 has prompted us to discontinue the functionality of the Human Milk Bank.”

“Moving forward, we will seek further guidance on this issue from both Darul Uloom Karachi and the Council of Islamic Ideology,” the statement added.

Earlier, SICHN had established the milk bank after seeking and receiving a fatwa from the Darul Uloom Karachi.