Secretary for Health, Dr Dan Namarika has hailed the government of Israel and its partners for supporting Malawi’s efforts to half the rate of neonatal mortality from 24 per 1000 live births to 12 per 1000 live births by 2030.
He said this isthrough the provision of life-saving equipment and specialised training for front-line healthcare workers.
Dr. Namarika made the remarks at Bwaila Hospital in Lilongwe, when he received neonatal resuscitation equipment following the training of 70 healthcare workers from Bwaila, Kabudula, Mchinji, Dowa and Mponela health facilities to save newborns experiencing breathing difficulties at birth.
He said the initiative complements the government’s efforts to improve maternal and child health outcomes and contributes towards Malawi’s commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“We know that the biggest cause of deaths amongst most newborns in the first hours of life is low oxygen at birth. By strengthening the capacity of our healthcare workers and ensuring that facilities have the right equipment, we are increasing the chances of survival for thousands of newborn babies,” said Dr Namarika.
Director of Health and Sanitation Services for Lilongwe District, Dr Wilson Ching’ani, said the intervention comes at a time for health facilities such as Bwaila Hospital, which is one of the busiest maternity centres in Malawi and the southern Africa region.
He said Bwaila Hospital handles between 65 and 80 deliveries every 24 hours.
“The availability of functional resuscitation equipment and well-trained staff will go a long way in improving newborn survival rates and the quality of care we provide,” Dr Ching’ani said.
The three-day Neonatal Resuscitation Programme (NRP), which is led by Neonatologists for Africa (NFA), an Israeli-based organisation, includes a Training of Trainers component.
According to him, this will equip selected participants with skills to train additional healthcare workers in their facilities, ensuring the programme’s impact extends beyond the initial group of trainees.
Chairman of NFA, Dr Meir Ezra Elli, said the initiative is driven by a commitment to reduce preventable neonatal deaths across Africa.
Dr Elli said their goal is to help save newborn lives by combining modern medical technology with local capacity building.
“We want healthcare workers to have both the equipment and expertise needed to respond effectively during the critical first moments after birth,” he said.
The neonatal programme builds on ImpactWell on how it is growing in Malawi, which is a medical-humanitarian initiative established by the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) and the Ruderman Family Foundation.
The organisation is under Malawi-Israel bilateral relationship, which has already supported mobile medical clinics, digital health innovations, ultrasound training for healthcare workers and specialist eye-care missions that have strengthened local healthcare services in underserved communities.
The programme is being implemented through ImpactWell and the intervention is supported by MASHAV, Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Israeli medical experts from the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov Hospital).
By Doreen Sonani
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