Nestlé Nutrition Institute Africa has partnered with the Kenya Pediatric Research Consortium (KEPRECON) to support neonatal resuscitation training for pediatric nurses and midwives to help improve the current statistics on neonatal deaths in the country.
The training was done in April at the Pumwani Maternity Hospital, where midwives and nurses working in the newborn units of major hospitals including Gertrudes, Matter Hospital, Nairobi South, Coptic Hospital, St. Francis, Agakhan University Hospital, Nairobi Women’s Hospital, Jamaa and Eastleigh Health Center were in attendance. This training will be extended to Mombasa and Eldoret and 100 health care professionals will be trained.
“Neonatal Resuscitation is intervention after a baby is born to help it breathe and to help its heart beat. Currently, neonatal deaths in Kenya stand at 22 per 1,000 live births and we hope this partnership along with other initiatives currently in place by the Ministry of Health will contribute to minimize the damning statistics.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that there are more than one million newborn deaths in Africa every day,” said Prof Fredrick Were, Dean Faculty of Medicine at the University of Nairobi, and a member of the Nestlé Nutrition Institute Africa board.
Speaking while opening the first training session, Dr Catherine Mutinda, the Clinical Head of Pumwani Maternity Hospital said that although the need for neonatal resuscitation is not predictable, the right skills and knowledge plus simple equipment can save many newborn lives.
“Anyone who delivers babies should be able to provide simple resuscitation if needed. This training focuses on equipping the newborn unit specialists on resuscitation at birth, keeping the baby warm, neonatal infections and standards of care, breastfeeding and cord care, jaundice and convulsions and prematurity and low birth weight baby,” said Dr Catherine Mutinda.
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Kenya is ranked 10th globally in neonatal deaths alone making it one of the riskiest places for mothers to deliver in. According to World Health Organization, in Kenya, neonatal deaths account for 60 percent of the overall infant mortality and despite neonatal mortality representing a significant part of infant mortality in the country, not so much focus has been given to neonatal mortality and the contributing factors.
Although 56% of Kenyan women deliver at home, the Nestlé Nutrition Institute Africa and KEPRECON would like to see 100 percent success in the 44% of births which are assisted by a health care professional (doctors, nurses and midwives).
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