The reports shows Uganda’s progress in cutting death of these babies has been very slow. In the last twenty years, neonatal mortality has only reduced from 25 per 1000 births to 22 per 1000 births currently. What’s more concerning the researcher says is the fact that urbanized areas like Kampala and Masaka which should be doing better are among those recording the highest neonatal care challenges.
Scientists
have asked government to invest at least 2.2billion shillings in setting up
neonatal units in each district hospital, regional and national referral hospitals
if they are to cut down on the 450,000 babies dying before making one month
annually.
Speaking at
the launch of the National Newborn Situation Analysis 2023 results on Wednesday evening, Dr. Peter
Waiswa, a researcher at Makerere University School of Public Health said if
this money is provided it would help in not only building structures but
equipping and hiring appropriate stuff to handle very small babies.
Dr. Waiswa says that so far the country operates with only five neonatologists leaving most of the care
to be given by health workers that are not specifically trained in this area.
//Cue in:”
The government needs ….
Cue out: …. Five
thousand babies.”//
The reports
show Uganda’s progress in cutting death of these babies has been very slow. In
the last twenty years, neonatal mortality has only reduced from 25 per 1000
births to 22 per 1000 births currently. What’s more concerning the researcher
says is the fact that urbanized areas like Kampala and Masaka which should be
doing better are among those recording the highest neonatal care challenges.
//Cue in:”
In the newborn ….
Cue out: …. Not
doing well.”/
Researchers
note that Buganda areas still trail in providing proper neonatal care partly
due to the fact that many private hospitals have not invested in providing
neonatal care whereas those that have tried are quite unaffordable. In addition,
Dr. Waiswa explains traditional practices in Buganda like herbal showers and
pouring away the first and very nutritious milk have made worse.
//Cue in:”
There are practices …
Cue out: …. Not
necessarily safe.”//
Data from
the analysis shows 60% of the deaths in newborns is caused by asphyxia, a
condition where they experience breathing difficulties. This is followed
preterm birth.
Commenting about
the findings, Prof Joy Lawn, a Professor of Child Health at the London School
of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine said with such figures, Uganda will need to
double their investment in neonatal care if we are to hit the Sustainable
Development Goal target of cutting neonatal deaths to 12 per 1000 live births
by 2030.
Five years
to 2030, many districts in Uganda still don’t have basics such as a room or a
nurse dedicated to taking care of neonates, she says noting that there are
cheaper and easy to use tools that the country can adopt to save babies who for instance succumb to
breathing challenges.
Responding to
these concerns, Health Minister in charge of Primary Health Care Margret Muhanga
said government is looking to invest more in national and regional referral
hospitals which admit the biggest number of neonates. According already, majority
of the deaths are happening in bigger hospitals than the health centers.
She notes
that hospitals like Mbarara have already started putting up structures having
obtained funds to set up a neonatal intensive care unit.
