Care for newborns and their mothers
In Tanzania, too many newborn babies die from preventable causes, particularly in remote, rural areas. Half of the 45,000 neonatal deaths every year occur within 24 hours of birth. A crucial factor is insufficient care for premature babies and those with low birth weight. Tanzania’s national health plan therefore aims to massively reduce the number of deaths by 2025. Through this project, SolidarMed is playing an important part in achieving that goal.
Keyfacts of the project
A safe and positive start in life
By expanding existing neonatal wards and building new ones at three hospitals in the Morogoro region, SolidarMed ensures that the necessary infrastructure and instruments are available to provide adequate care to newborns. Healthcare workers are trained to deliver professional support and care to premature babies and newborns with low birth weight, and professionals are encouraged to engage in knowledge sharing.
Ensuring the survival of premature babies
Kangaroo Mother Care involves mothers having skin-to-skin contact with their newborn to prevent the baby’s body temperature dropping. Early breastfeeding also prevents infections and boosts the immune system. Kangaroo Mother Care reduces the risk of health complications and the risk of death for babies with low birth weight and those born prematurely. SolidarMed demonstrated the effectiveness of Kangaroo Mother Care in a pilot project between 2018 and 2021. Information pamphlets for mothers were developed with the ministry of health. The method is now being rolled out in other hospitals.
Knowledge transfer in communities
The density of healthcare facilities in rural Tanzania is low. To ensure that rural communities can access medical care and the benefits of modern medicine, community health workers are educated on supporting and caring for newborns. These lay volunteers are accepted members of the community and help both share knowledge and dispel prejudice around visiting health facilities.
I believe in the right to healthcare for everyone.
Federica Laurenti, project manager «A Good Start»
From pilot project to national recipe for success
Between 2018 and 2021, SolidarMed conducted a pilot project to improve the health of newborns at Lugala Hospital. The project delivered insights on the optimal promotion of newborn health and highlighted some impressive improvements. Building on these findings, the measures are to be rolled out to three state-run hospitals in the Morogoro region over the next three years. They are also to be shared with health institutions and authorities to support a scaling-up of the measures. In this way, SolidarMed is helping to reduce the newborn mortality rate well beyond the catchment area of its own projects.
