Newborn Deaths in India Can Be Averted by 2030 with Stronger Health Systems

Tech2 India HNN Team

In December 2018, the Every Newborn Action Plan (ENAP) was released in India, with efforts and contributions from many stakeholders involved in maternal and child care. The plan brought alarming statistics on newborn care to the forefront. Over 30 million babies are born too soon, too small or become sick every year and need specialized … Continued

India Readies A New Cadre Of Certified Midwives To Improve Maternal, Infant Care

IndiaSpend India HNN Team

Karimnagar (Telangana) and Delhi: “As a nurse, we used to refer to mothers as patients. The first thing we learned as a midwife was to treat them as mothers and not patients,” said Jyothirmayee Akkaladevi, 35, as she rattled off a list of everything she had to unlearn to train as a midwife. Akkaladevi is … Continued

Experts call for intensified efforts to reduce maternal, newborn deaths

Outlook India India HNN Team

New Delhi, Jan 21 Experts have called for strengthening sexual and reproductive health services in member countries of WHO South-East Asia region, to reduce deaths of mothers and babies, which continues to be at “unacceptable levels”. “Though millions of lives are now being saved due to efforts in recent years, it is unacceptable that mothers … Continued

Where Doulas Calm Nerves and Bridge Cultures During Childbirth

New York Times HNN Team

HALMSTAD, Sweden — Maria Hussein, who escaped the war in Syria, was many hours into labor in a Swedish hospital when the midwife realized her fetus was in distress, and called in an obstetrician to help. The doctor began giving Ms. Hussein instructions and reassurance in Swedish. Oksana Kornienko, who works as a doula culture … Continued

‘We have a shower for pain relief’: can Haiti’s young midwives save a new generation?

The Guardian Haiti HNN Team

Sylvie Delice was born on a hot, slow March afternoon in a clinic in Marigot, a coastal town in south Haiti. The labour was seven hours; her mother, Natalie, 24, a seamstress, was stoic throughout, helped by two midwives in pale pink scrubs. Sylvie arrived strong and healthy, and was named after her mother’s cousin. … Continued

Exploring ways to reduce child deaths in low-income countries

EurekAlert; Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) Mozambique HNN Team

In Mozambique, the probability of dying in the first month after hospital discharge is high, particularly for babies under three months of age, shows a study led by the Barcelona Institute of Global Health (ISGlobal), an institution supported by “la Caixa” Foundation, in collaboration with the Manhiça Health Research Center (CISM). The study also shows … Continued

Poor quality of care still an issue in addressing newborns mortality

IPP Media Tanzania, United Republic of HNN Team

Countries with higher rates of child mortality and morbidity are especially challenged, including Tanzania. A senior official of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Bernadette Daelmans, made the call on the sidelines of the 2018 Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH) Forum being held in New Delhi, India. Dr. Bernadette Daelmans was speaking … Continued

Better care, stronger laws needed to save 30 million babies on the brink of death

UN News HNN Team

Nearly 30 million babies each year – nearly a quarter of the total – are born too soon, too small or become sick, requiring specialized care to survive beyond the first month of life, according to a new report by a global coalition that includes the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and World Health Organization (WHO). … Continued

Every year, 30 million babies need special care to survive

MediBulletin Bureau HNN Team

New report by a global coalition that includes UNICEF and the World Health Organization highlights the challenge in reducing infant deaths the world over. Nearly 30 million babies are born too soon, too small or become sick every year and need specialized care to survive, according to a new report by a global coalition that … Continued

‘I’ve Lost My Baby, My Home And My Life’: The perils of being pregnant in war-torn Yemen

ELLE UK Yemen HNN Team

Um Walid is lying in a hospital bed in Sana’a, the capital of Yemen. The blanket keeping her warm is a deep red; the room is cast in a warm pinky-purple hue. She is sick, and struggling to search for the words to describe the loss of her unborn child just 21 days ago. ‘I … Continued