Government, NISONM partner on improving newborns’ health

The Minister for Health, Prof. Isaac Adewale, has re-affirmed the commitment of the federal government to continue to partner with relevant organizations to improve the welfare of newborn babies in the country.

Declaring open the 9th annual and scientific meeting of the Nigerian Society of Neonatal Medicine, at Nondon hotel Enugu, the minister who was represented by the Chief Medical Director of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, UNTH Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu State, Dr. Chris Amah, said that apart from partnership which was inevitable for effective coverage of the large Nigerian population, government was taking the issues of primary healthcare very seriously.

The ceremony tagged “Enugu 2016”, attracted healthcare providers from more than twelve countries of the world, including Dr. George Little of the American Academy of Paediatrics, Prof. Alhassan Yakubu, Prof. Rapheal Orumabo, Prof. Angela Okolo, Prof. Ifeoma Egbuonu, Dr. Ambimbola Williams, Dr. Oniyire Adetiloye and the president of Paediatric Association of Nigeria, PAN, Dr. Ngozi Ibeziako. Dr. Ikechukwu Iloh of the UNTH, Enugu and Dr. Ekwochi Uchenna of the ESUT Teaching Hospital Parklane, Enugu and Dr. Okomama Okodaso Henry, the only Medical Doctor comedian in Africa, were also among the personalities that graced the occasion.

While expressing government’s readiness to work with NISONM to ensure better welfare for newborns and reduce maternal mortality in the country because of its abilities, the minister promised Nigerians a better and functional healthcare programme that would address all issues of maternal health

He continued: “I note with interest the theme for your 2016 meeting, ‘Newborn health in the context of the sustainable development goals’ and sub theme ‘Establishing partnerships for maternal and newborn health, how far, so far?’ and observed that the choice is apt for a country like Nigeria against the backdrop of our health challenges.”

In her opening remarks, the president of the Nigerian Society of Neonatal Medicine, NISONM, Prof. Chinyere Veronica Ezeaka, said that the organization had committed technical skills, promoted quality newborn care and facilitated national and international collaborations to strengthen the implementation process of reducing Neonatal morbidity and mortality in Nigeria.

Ezeaka, who is of the Lagos Teaching Hospital (LUTH), stated that those momentous strides were supported by their strategic objectives and operational plan which hinged on massive advocacy, capacity building, social mobilization, dissemination of best practices approach, development and strengthening of partnerships, operational research, monitoring and evaluation.

According to her “NISONM’s vision is “a Nigeria in which there are no preventable newborn deaths or still births, where every pregnancy is wanted, every birth celebrated and women, babies, children survive and reach their full potentials.

The renowned paediatrician explained that the theme of the conference “newborn health in the context of the sustainable development goals”, and the sub theme, “establishing partnerships for maternal and newborn health: how far? So far” were quite apt to address our current challenges, especially asphyxia, newborn sepsis, prematurity and neonatal jaundice.

“Our activities span through community mobilization and health talks at Ndiabor, in Aninri Local government area of Enugu State , on prevention of newborn infections, use of four chlorhezidine gel for cord care; pre-conference workshops with skills practice sessions on-helping babies breathe/essential newborn care for community respiratory support-C bubble CPAP, Pumani CPAP and mechanical ventilation; venous access with central venous catheters (PICC) and C) Didactic scholarly presentations on newborn survival, prematurity, neonatal jaundice and newborn nutrition!!”

Ezeaka stated that in line with their strategic initiatives, NISONM had emphasis on the establishment of partnerships as a way forward for newborn health in Nigeria, adding that significant reduction of newborn deaths would require the sustainable commitment of all at different levels of government.

She further disclosed that NISONM, had launched a pictorial Newborn Discharge Guide to be used in giving crucial health messages to mothers after every birth in Nigeria in order to avert newborn deaths from undue delays, pointing out that the model was adapted from AAP’s Helping Babies Survive and produced in collaboration with a USA-based NGO Healthcare Trends Help My Pikin (HMP).

The NISONM boss who raised an alarm on the death rate of newborn and maternal mortality in Nigeria, announced that plans were on going to develop a national newborn Care Protocol Manual and embark on a massive drive for bag and mask ventilation devices in all public and private levels of care in the country.

Also speaking, the chairman of the occasion, Prof. Jonathan Azubuike, expressed worry that Nigeria lost a whopping 264,268 children, out of 7,249,309 live births in 2013, according to the state of world’s children report of 2015, adding that the causes of the deaths, as NISONM president and others continue to emphasis, were known to most of us. Prof Azubuike stated that these neonatal deaths disproportionately affect Nigeria’s infant mortality rates and charged NISONM to come up with measures to improve matters and reduce our national neonatal wastage.

A former deputy vice-chancellor of the university of Nigeria, Enugu-Campus, Prof. Bede Ibe, blamed cultural practices, poverty and ignorance as some of the major causes of the high neonatal deaths in Nigeria and called for more enlightenment, especially at the rural communities, even as he maintained that an increase in budgetary allocation to the health sector, would facilitate the training of more health workers in the country.

The chairman of the local organising committee, Prof. Gilbert Adimora, praised God that despite challenges, the conference was a huge success and described members of his team as warriors and bulldozers in organization and management. He said that NISONM members had no choice than to work at the same pace of the president, Prof. Chinyere Ezeaka.

Earlier, in a keynote lecture titled “partnership to save Nigerian Newborns, it takes two and more to successfully tango”, Dr. Joseph Monehin, of United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Nigeria, said that 80 per cent of all newborn deaths resulted from three preventable and treatable conditions namely-complications due to prematurity, intra-partum related deaths and neonatal infections.

Monehin, also identified the reluctance of pregnant mothers to access antenatal care, while many deliveries take place outside healthcare centres supervised by trained personnel, as some of the causes of the deaths of the newborns in Nigeria.

As part of a robust attempt to check the ugly trend, the guest speaker urged government and health institutions to make it easier for men and women of reproductive age who desire to space or stop child bearing to be able to access quality family planning services.

In view of the poverty level in the country, the erudite scholar, called for free family planning services in all public health facilities in the country, adding that USAID was currently collaborating with the Kogi State Government towards establishing Mothers Savings and Loans clubs to provide the much-needed resources to pregnant women during health emergencies.