This doctor built a portable machine to save newborn babies from dying of jaundice across rural India
The first article on our #StartupBharat series shines the spotlight on innovations from Tier II and III cities and towns across India. This week, we feature Dr Kiran Kanthi of Lifetron Innov Equipments. The startup, incubated at Sandbox Startups in Hubli, Karnataka, has built a portable, affordable solution to treat jaundice in newborns. It has … Continued
Experts call for intensified efforts to reduce maternal, newborn deaths
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
Unnecessary referrals from districts causing death of newborns
PESHAWAR: Unnecessary referral of newborns from district hospitals coupled with shortage of equipment and trained staff in Peshawar-based teaching hospitals have been causing deaths of preventable ailments, according to sources. Paediatricians say that 16 per cent of the neonates die at nursery ward of Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH), 30 per cent at Lady Reading Hospital … Continued
WHO lays out recommendations to save newborns
According to a recent report released by WHO titled Survive and thrive: transforming care for every small and sick newborn, it is crucial for the world to transform care for every newborn baby, in order to achieve the global target of health for all. Reducing neonatal mortality to 12 per 1,000 live births and under-five … Continued
Poor quality of care still an issue in addressing newborns mortality
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
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
Series 2, episode 1- In Ebonyi and Kogi states, health workers learn quality improvement skills on top of clinical skills, and are improving quality of care on the day of birth
Over 90 health facilities in the Eboni and Kogi states of Nigeria have joined a quality improvement initiative to improve the quality of care for women and newborn on the day of birth. In just two years, they have seen massive improvement in some of the key clinical practices such as managing post-partum haemorrhage, resuscitating … Continued
Namibia: 208 Babies Die At Oshakati
Forty-eight hours – that is how long most newborn babies survive at the Oshakati State Hospital in the Oshana region. At least 150 premature babies out of more than 1 000 who are either admitted or born at the Oshakati State Hospital yearly do not survive. This year alone, the hospital recorded 208 neonatal deaths … Continued
The miracle of a mother’s touch
When Shanta became pregnant for the second time, her family was elated. Two years back, the 18-year-old mother gave birth to her first child and luckily, there wasn’t any pregnancy or childbirth-related complications, despite her being underage. So, the couple from Narsingdi was looking forward to welcome the new addition to their family. Shanta was … Continued
Donated Human Milk: A Lifesaving Option for Vulnerable Infants
Kenya loses an estimated 39 infants for every 1000 live births, translating to over 50,000 babies who die before their first birthday each year. More than half of these deaths occur in the neonatal period – the first month of life – most often due to complications related to prematurity and low birth weight[1]. Essential … Continued