South Africa steps up its game to end mother-to-child transmission of HIV

The Conversation South Africa HNN Team

This article was originally published on The Conversation South Africa’s prevention of mother-to-child transmission programme has achieved remarkable successes in recent years. It has improved the health and life expectancy for pregnant women living with HIV, and it has reduced the risk of transmission of the virus to their offspring. HIV can be transmitted during … Continued

Kangaroo Mother Care Awareness Campaign

Lenasia Rising Sun South Africa HNN Team

This article was originally published by Lenasia Rising Sun here. Aiming to reduce the new-born mortality rate caused by winter conditions, the Johannesburg Health District will embark on a Kangaroo Mother Care Awareness Campaign to emphasise the benefits of keeping newborn babies warm. Kangaroo Mother Care, or, skin-to-skin care, is a simple, easy method of … Continued

Kenya’s first human milk bank finally ready to save babies’ lives

Daily Nation Kenya, South Africa, Brazil HNN Team

Had Alice Onyango given birth at another time, things would have been different. She would have had to express milk from her aching engorged breasts – the milk that her preterm baby had no energy to suckle – and pour it down the drain. But the mother of three gave birth last week at Pumwani … Continued

In Africa, Myths, Superstitions About Childbirth Endanger Mothers and Babies

South Africa HNN Team

“I kept the pregnancy secret as long as I could. I only visited the doctor when only I was seven months pregnant,” said Mohape. Mohape believes that revealing a pregnancy early could be extremely dangerous.

In Developing World, Most Dangerous Day of Life Is Birth

Mozambique, South Africa

The woman hung up her phone and delivered a baby into her yellow and orange skirt so quietly it almost escaped the nurses’ notice.

South Africa: Breastfeeding gets underway

South Africa

As World Breastfeeding Week kicks off today, the Department of Health has encouraged families, communities and employers to provide a supportive environment for mothers to breastfeed.

High rates of drug resistance among HIV-positive infants in South Africa

South Africa HNN Team

Over half the infants exposed to treatment for the PMTCT or as infant prophylaxis had resistance to drugs in the non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) class.

South Africa: Give Babies, Mothers a Fighting Chance

South Africa HNN Team

The Countdown to 2015 report released confirmed that fewer than half of the 75 countries studied would meet the target to reduce the deaths of children under the age of 5 by 2/3rds by next year.

Yay for SA’s child health policies, nay for outcomes

South Africa HNN Team

This week holds the opportunity for us to show that we are serious about having a world where no child is born to die.

Africa: ‘No Excuse’ for Newborn Death Rate

South Africa

A series of papers published on Tuesday is laying the ground for concerted international action to reduce deaths among newborn babies – which reach their highest levels in sub-Saharan African countries.