Africa: ‘No Excuse’ for Newborn Deaths

Nigeria, Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Pakistan, Rwanda, Somalia, Central African Republic HNN Team

“There has been a fatalistic acceptance from both communities and governments,” Professor Joy Lawn, a Ugandan-born paediatrician at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, told AllAfrica in a telephone interview.

Save the Children Awards Best Newborn Health Journalists on World Press Freedom Day

Malawi

In an event organised by the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Malawi Chapter, Save the Children awarded two journalists for outstanding coverage of newborn health issues in their media platforms.

Malawi: Challenging traditions to save lives

Malawi HNN Team

“Traditional chiefs are the gatekeepers in our society. They get respect and everyone listens to them. Their involvement in safe birthing means people listen and follow their advice,” said MaiKhanda’s Nyaka.

Aquarium pumps saving babies’ lives

Malawi HNN Team

In Malawi, when a newborn is suffering from respiratory distress, he or she is typically provided extra oxygen via tubes placed gently in the nose. But doctors don’t add air pressure to help inflate the infant’s lungs.

Malawian husbands urged to play role in Kangaroo Mother Care

Malawi HNN Team

Manjanja revealed that men’s role in providing KMC was as critical as that of the mother but complained that lack of awareness was one major reason why the men were not playing any role in the initiative

Study Finds ‘Bubble CPAP’ Increases Neonatal Survival Rates

Malawi HNN Team

The first clinical study demonstrated that the device increased the survival rate of newborns with severe respiratory illness from 44 percent to 71 percent.

Malawi Uses Mobile Phones to Promote Maternal Health

Malawi HNN Team

Malawian mothers and guardians of young children who live in villages far from health facilities are heaving a sigh of relief, after the introduction of a hotline through which they can access medical advice.

Saving Babies’ Lives Starts With Aquarium Pumps And Ingenuity

Malawi HNN Team

One of the most successful projects for Rice 360 has been the bubble CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure). It helps premature infants breathe by pushing a steam of air into their lungs.

African Countries Make New Investments in Health

Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Kenya HNN Team

This year, as UNAIDS reported, low and middle income countries are for the first time providing more funding themselves for HIV than they are getting from external sources.

Differing Levels of Progress Make Idea of ‘AIDS in Africa’ Obsolete

Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana, Malawi, Togo, Zambia HNN Team

Progress in the battle against AIDS is widely divergent in different African countries, so much so that to talk about “AIDS in Africa” as one epidemic needing a single approach has become an anachronism, campaigners said on Tuesday.