Human Milk Banks in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan: One Step Forward and Two Steps Backward
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21649/akemu.v30i2.5773Keywords:
Shariah Compliant Milk Bank, Human Milk Bank, Milk bankAbstract
Introduction:
In June 2024, Karachi’s largest public health sector Pediatric Hospital, announced its “Shariah Compliant” Human Milk Bank, which the Sindh Government inaugurated as a Maternal and Child Health milestone. This received public and scholarly backlash, and the bank's operations were closed within ten days. This was intensified by the fatwas from the clerics claiming that the protocol was not pragmatic and that the procedural requirements of a truly Sharia-compliant human milk bank could not be met.
This issue has garnered significant attention and speculation from major stakeholders over the decades, and it is imperative to delve into its ethical, religious, and legal dimensions. The facts support the need to develop a resource, yet the social, cultural, religious, and legal aspects cannot be undermined. Clinicians, scholars, ethicists, theologians, community members, and all other stakeholders in Pakistan must engage in discourse and propose a resolution to this debate.
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