GOVT TO INTENSIFY WAR AGAINST DEATH OF PREMATURE BABIES

A health worker explains to the State minister for Primary Healthcare, Ms Sarah Opendi (in Kitenge) how kangaroo mother care is done. This was during the minister’s tour of Kayunga Hospital on Monday . PHOTO BY Fred Muzaale 

By Fred Muzaale

Kayunga. The government is to intensify use of cost-effective interventions to control deaths among premature newborns as a way of realising the Millennium Development Goals, State minister for Primary Healthcare Sarah Opendi has disclosed.

Speaking during the commemoration of the World Premature Day held in Kayunga District on Monday, Ms Opendi said each year, more than 200,000 (14 per cent) of Ugandan babies are born prematurely.
“According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Uganda ranks 13th out of the 184 countries for highest number of babies born prematurely and 11th for number of deaths due to complications from preterm birth,” Ms Opendi said.
She added: “Complications of preterm birth are directly responsible for 31 per cent of Uganda’s neonatal deaths, and many of the preterm babies who survive face lifetime disability. So, the World Premature Day is part of a global effort to build momentum towards actions to improve care and prevention of preterm labour and better care for babies born too soon.”
Preterm babies are those born before completing the nine-month gestation period.
Through collaboration with the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders, the minister said Save the Children is implementing cost-effective interventions that are especially effective for preterm babies, but are not commonly used despite documented success.
She said the interventions include Kangaroo mother care (a method of care of preterm infants involving infants being carried, with skin-to-skin contact) and treatment of infections. These are being implemented in 10 districts in Uganda.
Ms Opendi said government is setting up neonatal care units countrywide, starting with referral hospitals down to general and district hospitals.  

CREDIT SOURCE: DAILY MONITOR