KINGSTON, Jamaica — In recognition of World Milk Day, June 1, and with the guidance of the Nutrition Services/Health Promotion and Protection Branch of the Ministry of Health, dairy industry partners announced an initiative to assist in enhancing the health of pregnant mothers and improving the nutrition of newborn babies.

Pregnant mothers from the antenatal clinics of selected hospitals will each receive three litres of milk per week for three months contributed by the four milk processors in Jamaica — Seprod Group/Serge Island Dairies, Jamaica Beverages, Edwards Dairy, and Island Dairies Limited.  

A pregnant mother in the second or third trimester, which is when they need the nutrition most for their developing babies, will be selected from each of the following hospitals: the Victoria Jubilee Hospital in Kingston, Linstead Hospital in St Catherine, May Pen Hospital in Clarendon, and Cornwall Regional Hospital in St James.

In addition, the Jamaica Dairy Development Board will facilitate the donation of five cases of milk per month for the next three months to the Sir John Golding Rehabilitation Centre in St Andrew.

The announcements were made by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Mr. Donovan Stanberry during an address at a press conference to launch World Milk Day in Jamaica at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in St Andrew yesterday.

Stanberry, who was representing the Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Karl Samuda, noted that nutrition experts indicate that many pregnant mothers are not receiving the recommended intake of nutrients found in milk, therefore leading to the birth of under-nourished babies.

World Milk Day is being observed by all dairy partners in Jamaica and provides another opportunity to advance the public education efforts of the founding partners of the Drink Real Milk Campaign — CB Group (through Nutramix), Seprod Group, Newport Fersan Jamaica Limited and the Jamaica Dairy Development Board.