Early neonatal deaths in Sub-Saharan Africa
Document type: mthesis
Download file(s):
183336 (219 KB)
Abstract:
PROBLEM: More than one million babies in Africa are dying in the first week of their life, half of them at the first day of life. There has been only little progress in reducing the neonatal deaths in the first 4 weeks of life and no measurable progress in reducing the early neonatal deaths. OBJECTIVE: To analyse the risk factors of early neonatal deaths and to investigate which interventions can be recommended in order to improve the survival of these newborns. METHODS: This paper is based on literature review. Various documents, books and articles regarding the early neonatal deaths available are referred. RESULTS: There are various factors determining or contributing to early neonatal deaths. These are unhealthy or unfavourable social, cultural and belief system around pregnancy and child births. Similarly, the poor socio-economic factors that play a vital role to enable people to seek health care services during pregnancy, delivery and during the post natal period are identified to be equally important. In addition to this, lack of existence of functioning health care delivery system played a vital role. Furthermore, lack of, inadequate or poorly trained health care service providers is an other major contributor to escalating early neonatal mortality. CONCLUSION: There are three gaps in the continuum of care. These are a gap in the antenatal period, a gap at the delivery and a postnatal care gap. First gap, though the antenatal care is visited better than any other care there is mostly one visit and it is by far not done as described by the WHO as a four focused visit. Second gap: At the delivery there is mostly no skilled birth attendant available at around 40% in the SSA countries. A skilled birth attendant can be a midwife, a community midwife or a nurse with midwifery skills 15 % of the deliveries can have complications and if there is no skilled birth attendant available serious problems can arise, also when the neonate needs resuscitation. Third gap: This is the most serious gap the postnatal period when there is no care for the mother and her child Children can die just because of lack of basic care like hygiene thermal care and no breastfeeding. A solution can be the strengthening of community care and health care system alike with the simultaneously involvement of various sectors.
Authors:
Galjaart, P.
Category:
Research
Department:
Development Policy & Practice
Institute:
KIT (Royal Tropical Institute)
Keywords:
health services
,
maternal and child health
,
reproductive health
,
communities
Language:
eng
Organization:
KIT - Royal Tropical Institute
PAGE:
xli
Year:
2007
Region:
Central Africa
,
East Africa
,
West Africa
,
Southern Africa
Right:
© 2007 Galjaart
Subject:
Health and Nutrition
Title:
Early neonatal deaths in Sub-Saharan Africa
Training:
Master of Public Health / International Course in Health Development (ICHD)