The North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University postgraduate program preparing the next generation of human lactation consultants has been awarded a $2.5 million grant by an initiative supported by philanthropist Melinda French Gates to improve women’s health worldwide.

The Pathway 2 Human Lactation Training Program will use the largest grant in its five-year history to expand its efforts to support pregnant and post-partum women.

“This generous funding allows us to scale our vision to expand lactation education, strengthen our community through clinical outreach and build a sustainable pipeline of lactation professionals that help all people,” said Janiya Mitnaul Williams, the program’s director. “This grant will support our students as well as the families and community members who rely on us to provide accessible, holistic and culturally relevant perinatal care.”

Established in 2020, N.C. A&T’s human lactation training program is a postbaccalaureate certificate that prepares graduates to become International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs). N.C. A&T — the only public Historically Black College or University to offer a lactation program — is home to one of only 11 such programs worldwide that are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs.

N.C. A&T’s lactation program also operates a no-cost NCAT Community Lactation Clinic to increase breastfeeding rates in communities, where lactation rates lag behind national averages despite breastfeeding’s significant health benefits for mothers and children, and improve maternal and child health through culturally responsive education and support. Since opening in 2021, the outpatient clinic has supported more than 2,000 families.

The grant was announced Nov. 12 by Action for Women’s Health, a $250 million global initiative to improve the mental and physical health and well-being of women of all backgrounds and at all stages of life. N.C. A&T’s lactation program was among about 80 awardees selected from among 4,000 organizations from 119 nations that applied for funding.

Human Lactation Pathway 2 Program at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University team members Cierra Murphy-Higgs, left, and Director Janiya Mitnaul Williams discuss a model of a lactating breast.

Action for Women’s Health was formed from a $1 billion commitment made in 2024 by Gates, an American philanthropist, businesswoman and advocate for women and girls. The grant program is funded by Pivotal, an organization founded by Gates to advance social progress and expand the power and influence of women in the U.S. and around the world, and managed by Lever for Change, a nonprofit affiliate of the MacArthur Foundation that helps connect donors to organizations to address pressing global challenges.

“The university is grateful to Action for Women’s Health, Pivotal and Lever for Change for supporting our human lactation program, which is having a significant impact on maternal and child health in our community,” said Radiah C. Minor, Ph.D., interim dean of the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, where the program is housed. “This grant positions North Carolina A&T to be a leader in child and maternal health innovation by improving lactation rates, closing gaps and transforming breastfeeding for all families.”