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Day 10

20 minutes of intensive care for a premature baby in the DR Congo

A good start in life for premature babies! A good start in life for premature babies!

20 minutes of intensive care for a premature baby in the DR Congo
Day 10
Obstetrics at the hospital in Nzibira in the Democratic Republic of Congo

"We're pregnant!" These words express the anticipation of the expectant family. The weeks of pregnancy are often also marked by concerns about the baby's health. But even in times of uncertainty, for example with regard to complications during birth, parents in Germany can know that they are in safe hands. When a "premature baby" is born here, the first question is often: Will the child develop healthily? In the Democratic Republic of Congo, unfortunately, the question must be asked whether the child will survive at all. Maternity clinics, especially in rural areas, are very poorly equipped and there is a lack of important medical equipment such as incubators, which are vital for the care of premature babies. Currently, health staff at the hospital in Nzibira use hot water bottles to provide the premature babies with sufficient warmth. Keeping the temperature at a constant 37°C is almost impossible.

Obstetrics at the hospital in Nzibira in the Democratic Republic of Congo
need
Improved intensive medical care for premature and complicated newborns in Nzibira, DR Congo.
activity
The local NGO AEO/CNA procures medical equipment and medicines and trains health personnel to provide intensive care for newborns.
Measurable performance
Number of newborns receiving intensive care. Number of staff trained in neonatology (neonatal medicine).
Result
Intensive care for newborns is improving. The number of deaths among newborns in the first 28 days at Nzibira Hospital is decreasing.
Systemically relevant impact
The health status of children under 5 years of age in the Nzibira region has improved sustainably and newborn deaths are decreasing.
background

Despite significant progress in maternal and child health, the death rate among children under the age of 5 in the DRC remains extremely high, at 85 deaths per 1,000 live births (UNICEF, 2020). One third of these children die within the first 28 days (UNICEF, 2020). According to UNICEF (2018), 80 percent of all newborn deaths are due to three preventable and treatable causes: complications due to prematurity, asphyxia (respiratory arrest), and infections. A child is born before the 37th week of pregnancy. These premature babies must be treated in maternity hospitals because their organs are not yet sufficiently developed to survive. Premature babies' own heat production is severely limited, and their small lungs do not supply their bodies with enough oxygen. In 2020, one in seven children born at Nzibira Hospital was premature or had complications such as oxygen deficiency or infection. Although the health staff is very committed, adequate intensive care for sick newborns cannot currently be guaranteed due to a lack of equipment and knowledge. Medical devices such as incubators and oxygen devices would provide the premature babies with protective warmth and oxygen.

Nubira Democratic Republic of Congo
Day 10 Day 10
The good deed

With your donation today, you are supporting a hospital in the rural region of Nzibira in the east of the DR Congo and are thereby making a contribution to improving the intensive care treatment of premature babies and newborns with complications. The hospital will be equipped with medical equipment such as an incubator and an oxygen device, as well as medication and medical consumables. The use of the incubator creates a protected environment for the regeneration and healthy development of the children until their organ functions stabilize and they are able to regulate their body temperature independently. By employing another qualified midwife, their health status can be optimally monitored. The high-quality healthcare helps to sustainably improve the health of children under the age of 5 in the catchment area of the hospital in Nzibira and reduce the mortality rate of newborns.

AboutDemocratic Republic of Congo
Kinshasa
Kinshasa
Capital city
89 561 404
89 561 404
Population
556.8
556.8
Gross domestic product per capita per year
Rank 175 of 189
Rank 175 of 189
Human Development Index (Human Development Index)

The DR Congo is the second largest country in Africa and, with its area, is more than six times the size of Germany (Federal Foreign Office, 2019). Among the almost 100 million inhabitants, four national languages and 200 other local languages are spoken in addition to French (Federal Foreign Office, 2019).
About the organization and further information

organization

German drug aid organization action medeor eV

website

medeor.de/de/

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Further links