Conference Abstract | Volume 8, Abstract NACNDC/19JASH055 (Poster C51) | Published: 30 Nov 2025
Juliet Ecii1,&, Christine Nalwadda Kayemba1,, Daniel Gossy Omara2
1Makerere University College of Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Kampala, Uganda, 2Makerere University School of Education, Department of Science and Vocational Education, Kampala, Uganda
&Corresponding author: Juliet Ecii, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Department of Community Health and Behavioural Sciences, Kampala, Uganda. Email: julieteciifaith@gmail.com ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-8384-3488
Received: 28 Aug 2025, Accepted: 20 Oct 2025, Published: 30 Nov 2025
Domain: Maternal and Child Health
Keywords: Human breast milk donation, acceptability, awareness, preterm care, neonatal care
©Juliet Ecii et al. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health (ISSN: 2664-2824). This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution International 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Cite this article: Juliet Ecii et al., Awareness and acceptability of human breast milk donation and its associated factors among mothers in Kampala District. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health. 2025;8(ConfProc6):055. https://doi.org/10.37432/JIEPH-CONFPRO6-00055
Human breast milk is vital for infant health, especially for preterm and low birth weight babies. When mothers cannot breastfeed, donated breast milk offers a safe alternative. This study explored awareness and acceptability of breast milk donation among mothers in Kampala, it aimed at informing strategies that strengthens neonatal care and health systems.
A mixed-methods study was conducted in Makindye Division, Kampala District, where Uganda’s first human breast milk bank is located. A cross-sectional survey involved 230 women aged 15–49 who had given birth, selected through cluster and simple random sampling. Seven in-depth interviews were conducted with mothers who had donated breast milk at Nsambya Hospital. Quantitative data were analyzed using STATA 14.0, applying logistic regression to identify factors associated with acceptability. Qualitative data were thematically analyzed. Ethical approval was obtained and informed consent was secured from all participants.
A total of 230 mothers were interviewed, the mean age was 31.5 years, with participants ranging from 19 to 48 years. Most respondents were in union (81%, 187/230), (52%, 120/230) had post-secondary education, (84%, 193/230) were Christians, (87%, 201/230) were employed, and (72%, 166/230) were of Baganda ethnicity. Awareness of human breast milk donation (HBMD) was reported by 64% (147/230). Sources of information included family/friends, health professionals, and the media. Acceptability to donate breast milk was 24% (55/230). Among those willing to donate, 61% (33/55) cited helping other babies as their motivation, 31% (17/55) if they had excess milk, and 7% (4/55) indicated they would donate if given more information.
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