Improving Newborn Survival and Health through establishing Newborn Corner in Health Facilities in Ethiopia

Abstract

Background: Ethiopia has achieved the Millennium development Goal 4 in 2013 almost two years ahead of the target time, however, the neonatal mortality has still remained high (37/1000 LB), mainly from preventable causes.
Ethiopian Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) in collaboration with UNICEF and WHO initiated establishment of Newborn Corners in the labor room in all health facilities rendering delivery services to address gaps in preventing newborn morbidity and mortality by ensuring standard newborn care immediately after birth in health facilities.
Methods: Cross sectional study was conducted using the pretested data collecting tools. The aim was to generate baseline data on the health facilities capacity and health workers knowledge and skills with regard to management and care of newborn problems including resuscitation skills.
Interventions were made based on the findings from the base line survey to revitalize the newborn health in health facilities by training health workers and distribution of basic resuscitation equipment.
Supportive supervision to reinforce basic newborn care skills and helping health workers transfer these skills to clinical work in the facilities was given to the majority of the health workers enrolled in the training.
Finally end line survey was carried out on same health facilities using the same tools as the base line survey to see the impact of the newborn corner intervention through the training of health workers and provisions of the basic newborn care equipment for the health facilities for newborn care and resuscitation.
Results: Base line Survey: There were a total of 477 health professionals working on MNCH in the 60 health facilities surveyed. Among the health professionals working both in the hospital and health center settings midwives were the majority. Very few specialists work in the zonal, district hospitals or health centers.
Only 50.6% of the health professionals had the opportunity of either pre-service or in-service training on neonatal resuscitation.
Running water is available in 60 % of the delivery rooms while the rest have frequent interruptions or no running water at all. Nearly 26% of the facilities do not have soap for hand washing. Emergency light source is available in less than 45 % of the health facilities.