Newborn care training program launched to reduce neonatal deaths

DAVIS LANGAT-KNA

The Government has rolled out guidelines for comprehensive newborn care in a bid to reduced neonatal deaths.

Health Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa said the newborn care training package is meant to give health care workers skills on how to take care of newborns.

The Cabinet Secretary who was accompanied by Health Director General Patrick Amoth and Homabay Governor Gladys Wanga launched the guidelines at Homa Bay Kenya Medical Training College grounds. 

The launch was done during the celebration to mark the World Prematurity Day to raise awareness of premature birth.

Dr Barasa said prematurity is the leading cause of death of children under the age of five years worldwide.

According to the Ministry of Health, every baby born before the completion of 37 weeks of pregnancy is considered preterm. 

Dr Barasa said preterm birth complications could be prevented, saying it is the leading cause of death among children under five years in the country. 

She called for innovative solutions to reduce the number of babies who die during birth, adding that majority of the deaths could be prevented. 

According to the Ministry of Health, 12 per cent of all live births annually are preterm with the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey Report indicating a neonatal mortality rate of 21 deaths per 1000 live births which accounts for 51 per cent of under-five mortality in the country.

Dr Barasa emphasized the importance of breast milk and respiratory support through use of machines such as Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), caffeine citrate and provision of oxygen where needed.

During the launch, the Ministry also distributed CPAP machines for babies to help those with breathing complications after birth.

“We have equally improved monitoring of new born care indicators through development of standardized data collection and monitoring in all admitting facilities,” Dr Barasa said. 

Dr Amoth on his part said the country should put more efforts to reduce the number of children who die during birth. 

He said it was regrettable that Homa Bay was one of the counties leading in neonatal deaths at 26 deaths per 1000 live births. 

However the county has made progress in addressing malnutrition and other underlying factors that promote child deaths, the Director General said.

He noted that 89 per cent of mothers in the county deliver in health facilities against the national average of 90 per cent and that a quarter of births in the county are of teenage mothers. 

“Teenage mothers are at risk of dying during childbirth as well as their children dying in the process,” the health director said.

Governor Wanga said there was a need to provide quality care to preterm babies. 

According to Ms Wanga, the county has increased access to maternal and new-born health care by strengthening primary health care systems. 

Ms Wanga announced that her administration intends to build two specialized neonatal clinics by 2026 and train more health care workers to handle preterm births effectively. 

USAID donated more than 1,000 CPAP machines which will be taken to different hospitals across the country.