The Director Jinja Regional Referral Hospital (JRRH)Dr Alfred Yayi says one of the best ways of minimizing cases of birth asphyxia is for members of the community to always attend antenatal care (ANC) services as required, undertake birth preparedness planning, avoid unnecessary delays in seeking care and continue to demand for quality health care services.
Dr Yayi made the call during the national birth asphyxia awareness launch ceremony held at the hospital grounds where members of the community joined health workers and stakeholders.
He quoted statistics which show that globally 2.6 million neonates die every year and about 90% of these occur in Sub-Saharan Africa.
In Uganda, Dr Alfred Yayi who now has a new title of Chief Executive Consultant says neonatal mortality rate stands at 27 per 1000 live births,60% of these neonatal deaths are reported to be due to birth asphyxia. (Credible sources say very soon all regional referral hospital directors will be referred to as Chief Executive Consultants).
Birth asphyxia, also known as perinatal asphyxia is a medical condition that occurs when a baby is deprived of oxygen before, during or after birth. This can lead to serious health complications including brain damage, developmental delays and even death.
According to health experts, causes include prolonged labour which reduces blood flow and oxygen, umbilical cord problems, placenta abruption, fetal distress and maternal health conditions.
At JRRH, Dr Alfred Yayi says neonatal mortality rate stands at about 33/1000 live births meaning the health facility loses about 10 neonates monthly and about 80% of these deaths occur in the early neonatal period which is the first week of life, majority of which are actually due to birth asphyxia.
He says the high neonatal mortality due to birth asphyxia is an indication of limited access to maternal and child health services right from antenatal care to delivery.
“…access to quality MCH care is limited by several factors that include demand side factors like high fertility rates, teenage pregnancy (25% in Busoga), illiteracy as well as supply side factors…”, Dr Alfred Yayi noted.
He mentions other side factors as inadequate physical access to health care services, lack of critical staff, equipment and health supplies, among others.
Some expectant mothers, particularly from rural areas, are hesitant to deliver at government health facilities due to concerns about the attitude of health workers, particularly nurses and midwives.
They claim that these healthcare professionals are often rude and discriminatory towards them because of their poverty status.
However, health workers have consistently countered these claims, asserting that significant improvements have been made in patient care.
They emphasize that most healthcare providers now strive to deliver friendly and compassionate care to all patients, regardless of their socio-economic background.
On a positive note, Dr Alfred Yayi says there are a number of opportunities that exist to improve the status quo, namely strengthening coordination of maternal and child health services through Busoga Local Maternity and Neonatal System (LMNS).
The other area worth exploring is partner support in addressing some of the system challenges like capacity building and equipment support, new staffing structure that will enable recruitment of more staff and regional and national strategies for community engagement.
According to Dr. Ronny Bahatungire, Commissioner at the Ministry of Health, birth asphyxia accounts for 59% of neonatal deaths in Uganda, with 1 in every 45 newborns not surviving past their first month.
He told the audience that the Ministry has identified hospital-level delays as a critical bottleneck in emergency maternal care and is working to address this issue.
The Commissioner also said the Ministry outlined several strategic interventions, including constructing and equipping maternity theaters, providing blood transfusion services, and training health workers in newborn care.
Dr. Charles Olaro, the Director General of Health Services in a speech stressed the importance of timely interventions in saving newborn lives, saying, birth asphyxia is not worth celebrating, but every baby’s first cry is a testament to our efforts.
The Ministry hopes that the campaign will save thousands of newborns lives every year by promoting awareness and timely interventions.
The campaign marks a big step towards reducing neonatal mortality rates in Uganda, and the Ministry of Health is committed to supporting health workers and improving healthcare services to achieve this goal.
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