Gov’t to distribute new-born care equipment to save premature babies
Nov 21, 2023
“It is our wish to improve the gaps in human resources especially Kawempe National Referral Hospital which is grappling with understaffing,” Dr Atwine said.
Diana Atwine PS MOH signing the committment on the clinical protocols on managing small and sick newborn babies at Queen Elizabeth nursing school in Mulago.(Photos by Agnes Kyotalengerire)
Agnes Kyotalengerire
Journalist @New Vision
_________________________ Richard Mugahi, assistant commissiner reproductive and infant health and other health officials during the world prematurity day commemoration at Queen Elizabeth nursing school in Mulago A nurse at Kamuli Mission hospital attending to a premature baby
Over 200,000 babies in Uganda are born prematurely (before 37 weeks). Of those, about 13,000 children die before celebrating their fifth birthday as a result of complications related to prematurity.
In the bid to curb the death of premature babies, the government is going to distribute newborn care equipment in lower health facilities.
A premature (preterm) baby is one born alive before 37 weeks of pregnancy are completed.
The health ministry’s permanent secretary, Dr Diana Atwine, said the government is committed to providing resuscitation equipment, and supplies, and continuously working on the human resource gaps.
“It is our wish to improve the gaps in human resources especially Kawempe National Referral Hospital which is grappling with understaffing,” Dr Atwine said. 
The assistant commissioner of infant and reproductive health at the health ministry, Dr Richard Mugahi, said the health ministry has already purchased some, while discussions are ongoing with UNICEF to buy more, and other NGOs are coming on board to support the lower facilities.
“We no longer want to hear that equipment is the cause of death for premature babies. As such we shall work round the clock to ensure that the equipment is put to proper use,” Dr Mugahi said
This was during the launch of the clinical protocols/guidelines for managing the small and sick newborns at Queen Elizabeth Nursing School in Mulago to commemorate World Prematurity Day under the theme Small Actions, Big Impact, on November 17, 2023.
Atwine said the World Prematurity Day underscores the need to affirm our commitment to ensuring that every child irrespective of their gestation age receives the best possible care when they come into this world.
She said a mother can have a premature baby but with the support of health workers and family, the baby can be managed to grow to their full potential.
Atwine applauded a team of health workers such as neonatal nurses who are involved in saving the lives of precious souls. 
Mbarara woman MP Margret Ayebare who officiated the function, called for lifting the recruitment ban to ensure more health workers are employed to bridge the human resource gap.
Prematurity burden
In Uganda about 14% of all births are premature; which is unacceptably high. This translates into about 200,000 babies born in this country before reaching their gestation age of 37 weeks. It is also sad to note that of those, about 13,000 children die before celebrating their fifth birthday as a result of complications related to prematurity.
According to the recent maternal and perinatal death surveillance (MPDS) report, the complications of prematurity are the second leading cause of death among newborn babies, consequently contributing to about 23% of all neonatal deaths in the country, a kind of tragedy we cannot afford to ignore.
Worth noting, the neonatal (new-born death) has stagnated at about 27 per 1000 live births over the last 20 years, however, in the last Uganda demographic health survey report, the figure dropped to 22 per 1000 live births.
In regard, Atwine said this is still high as opposed to our sustainable development targets of losing 12 newborn babies by 2030.
She said reducing the indicators from 27 per 1000 live births to 22 per 1000 live births in the space of seven years is an uphill task.
“We have a big task and we have to work towards achieving these goals by collectively embracing all interventions that can help us to prevent and manage prematurity, and avert preventable newborn deaths in the country,” she said.
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