“Breast milk is very important as it can reduce the risks of necrotising enterocolitis, which is the No 1 common disease among premature babies, as well as other complications such as late-onset septicaemia and chronic lung disease. It will reduce their mortality rate in the long term,” he said.

“Their neurological development will be improved. It will also shorten the time of staying in the neonatal intensive care units.”

The authority said the bank would accept applications from eligible mothers in the fourth quarter this year.

Only mothers with babies under one year old would be eligible to donate, Leung said, as the nutritional composition of the breast milk would change when children reached that age.

Babies suffering from severe illnesses such as congenital heart diseases or needing to undergo surgery would also be eligible to be recipients, he added.

The bank will begin operation in 2025 with a target of collecting between 600 and 850 litres per year and helping 450 to 600 premature babies annually.

Dr Lee Tsz-leung, chief executive of Hong Kong Children’s Hospital, said the bank was expected to supply “several” hospitals with breast milk in the initial stage. It would then provide donations to nine public hospitals with neonatal intensive care units in 2025.

Leung said he was confident there would be enough mothers who were willing to donate breast milk based on experiences in Shenzhen, Singapore and Australia.

He said mothers interested in donating would undergo strict screening. They must complete a questionnaire on their health situation and medical history, as well as undergo a blood test every three to four months.

“We will ensure the mother is not suffering from any infectious diseases such as Aids, hepatitis B and hepatitis C through the blood test. We will also make sure they are not smokers,” he said.

“They also need to have adequate breast milk for their own babies and extra milk for those in need.”

The authority will provide breastmilk containers for donors to store in the freezer at home. A door-to-door collection service will also be available.

Lee said the breast milk would be stringently tested and pasteurised once collected to ensure it was safe and of quality. Bacteria count tests would also be conducted before and after the pasteurisation process.

He said paediatricians would then distribute breast milk to infants after assessing their clinical needs, stressing mothers’ permission would be obtained.

Wong Sze-ki, a nurse consultant on breastfeeding for hospitals in central Kowloon Central and Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Yau Ma Tei, said premature babies at present were fed with special-made formula before their mothers could produce enough breast milk.

She said mothers would be able to donate at four to six weeks after giving birth, and the liquid could last six months if stored appropriately in a freezer.

“The bank will require that the whole process, from the mother first pumping the milk to the baby receiving the milk, be completed within six months,” she said, adding the process normally took about a week.

Wong said the bank would not rule out extending its service to other babies in the community in the future depending on supply and demand.

She noted that two surveys carried out last November and this March showed more than 70 per cent of around 1,200 pregnant women from eight public hospitals expressed support for donating breast milk.

The experts were meeting the press at the annual Hospital Authority Convention at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, where the Asia Summit on Global Health was also being held.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said at the summit that the city was emerging as an innovation and technology hub and the government was committed to supporting medical innovations such as by setting up a new drug approval mechanism and regulatory authority.

Cao Xuetao, vice-minister of the National Health Commission, said in his remarks that Hong Kong should deepen its healthcare cooperation with mainland China. He pointed to potential for promoting exchanges and training of medical professionals, cross-border collaboration, as well as interactions in pharmaceutical and technological innovation.