Request for neonatal care equipment from Maluba Rotary Club
Background
The United Nations Sustainable Developmental Goals (3.2) has recommended member countries to reduce Neonatal Mortality Rate (NMR) to less than 12/1000 live births by the year 2030.
In Zambia however, NMR continues to be the worst performing indicator with a rise from 24 per 1000 live births to 27/1000 live births in 2014 and 2018 respectively (Zambia Demographic Health Survey 2014/2018). Most deaths occur in the tertiary referral hospitals as despite the increased awareness of emergency care for neonates as a lifesaving measure, most infants arrive late and in poor state dying in the first 24 to 48 hours of admission. Additionally, the referral hospitals are inadequately equipped to provide the much-needed treatment that is lifesaving.
ARTHUR DAVISON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL
Arthur Davidson Children's Hospital (ADH) is the largest referral centre for all neonates coming from surrounding facilities on the Copperbelt and most of the Northern part of Zambia. The hospital has a neonatal unit that admits close to 500 babies per quarter and approximately 2000 babies per year. The neonatal mortality in 2020 for ADH was an average 30 percentage of all admissions. The commonest causes of mortality included prematurity, birth asphyxia and sepsis.
The key objective is to reduce the rate of neonatal mortality.
Timeline for the project is 4 months.
RC of Maluba will oversee the implementation of this project.
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