African leaders call for immediate action to save additional lives from malaria in the face of COVID-19

HNN Team

This article was originally published by RBM   In response to mounting concerns around the impact of COVID-19 on malaria elimination efforts across the African continent, the African members of the End Malaria Council have released a joint statement and a four-pronged action plan calling on African and global leaders to act quickly to: protect the decades … Continued

Hospitals are separating mothers and newborns during the coronavirus pandemic — with little evidence it will help slow the spread of disease

The Boston Globe HNN Team

This article was originally published by The Boston Globe By Kate Mitchell, Hagar Palgi Hacker, Tejumola Adegoke and Katharine Hutchinson Because of COVID-19, the transformative experience of delivering a baby has become more traumatic in many places around the world than it has been for a long time. That’s true for mothers, partners, and newborns. … Continued

Coronavirus: Health system overload threatens pregnant women and newborns

HNN Team

This article was originally published by the UN News The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimates that 116 million babies have been born since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and on Thursday called for governments to maintain lifesaving services for pregnant women and newborns that are under increasing threat from strained health services and supply … Continued

Africa can’t let maternity care slide during the coronavirus pandemic

The Conversation HNN Team

This article was originally published by The Conversation Amid global commitments to defeat, or at least minimise, the pervasive effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact on the African continent remains unclear. African governments have moved quickly to mobilise resources and strengthen their emergency preparedness and response capacities. But particular attention needs to be paid to the most … Continued

Estimating the potential impact of COVID-19 on mothers and newborns in low- and middle-income countries

Medium.com HNN Team

This article was originally published by Health Policy Plus As COVID-19 spreads, wealthy countries are struggling with an influx of patients requiring screening, testing, and intensive care. In addition to national calls for social distancing, providers cancelled elective surgeries, shifted to virtual care where possible, and set up temporary hospitals to handle increasing demand. Countries … Continued

A digital response to help ensure safer childbirths during COVID-19

HNN Team

A new initiative launched today by Maternity Foundation, University of Copenhagen and Laerdal Global Health in collaboration with International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) and UNFPA, the UN sexual and reproductive health agency, uses a digital tool to equip midwives in low-resource settings to protect themselves, mothers and newborns from the Coronavirus and to ensure that … Continued

Pregnant in a pandemic: how will coronavirus affect me and my baby?

The Guardian HNN Team

This article was originally published by The Guardian A recurrent anxiety terror keeps flashing intrusively through my head: I’m in the throes of labor, surrounded by masked strangers, and I don’t recognize a single face around me. This vision began three weeks ago, when I first realized that this pandemic was rearranging my pregnancy into a … Continued

No evidence found for SARS-CoV-2 vertical transmission to fetus

Physician's Briefing, Healthy Day HNN Team

This article was originally published by the Physician’s Briefing There is currently no evidence that SARS-CoV-2 undergoes intrauterine or transplacental transmission from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-infected pregnant women to fetuses, according to a study published online March 17 in the Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine. David A. Schwartz, M.D., from the Medical College of Georgia … Continued

Simprints to provide biometric tech and expertise to Bangladesh government for newborn healthcare

Biometric Update Bangladesh HNN Team

This article was originally published by Biometric Simprints and the ICT Division of the Government of Bangladesh have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), under which the company will support the “Digital Bangladesh” initiative by deploying its technology to perform biometric verification of up to a million expectant mothers and newborn children for medical care. The … Continued

To deliver tech solutions in delivery rooms, donors look to distribution

Devex Malawi HNN Team

This article was originally published by Devex By Catherine Cheney SAN FRANCISCO — One million newborns die every year in Africa, and 80% of these deaths are preventable with technologies that have been available for 50 years in the U.S., according to Dr. Queen Dube, a pediatrician at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre, Malawi. … Continued