Health experts have been urged to continue fighting for the lives of premature babies in order to reduce their deaths and be able to reach the goals of the 2030 strategic plan to have infant mortality below 12 deaths per 1000 live generations.
Executive Director of Muhimbili National Hospital Prof. Mohamed Janabi said this while opening the celebrations for the day of the child born prematurely (njiti) held at the National Hospital Muhimbili – Mloganzila which involved health experts for newborns from MNH Upanga and Mloganzila.
Prof. Janabi has explained that it is estimated that for every 1000 children there are about 24 infants who die within the first 28 days and that strategies to reduce these deaths cannot be sustainable without the cooperation of stakeholders in the health sector, including improving the skills to care for these children.
He explained that the Government through the Ministry of Health has been coordinating various programs whose aim is to reduce the deaths of infants and those under five years old.
He said the programs are like helping a child breathe after birth, expanding newborn services by building neonatal wards (Neonatal Units) in regional and district hospitals, as well as providing training to health workers on how to care for newborns (Essential newborn care).
Pediatric Specialist MNH Upanga, Dr. Martha Mkony has said that in Africa almost one in ten children are born before the time when these children are faced with various challenges including respiratory problems, infections, food problems and long-term growth risks.
“However, despite the existence of these challenges, there is still hope through the Government’s efforts, as there are encouraging improvements in the care of infants in the country by improving health centers and hospitals for the care of infants and building and educating health experts”. said, Dr. Mkony
The celebration has gone along with the launch of the Lactational Management Unit to ensure that the children get their mother’s milk in time as children born prematurely grow up with low weight which causes them to need a small amount of milk.
He said that even if the mother is able to give a lot of milk, the remaining amount is stored so it is easy if the mother is allowed to return home, she goes with her milk. This supports the plan to ensure that infants are breastfed for six months without being given anything else.
