Why are premature babies less likely to survive in South Sudan?
Doctors are working with very few resources – including incubators. But it’s hoped techniques like ‘Kangeroo Care’ can improve babies’ chances of survival.
Nowadays premature babies – born at 24 or 28 weeks - can go on to live long happy lives.
But a baby’s chance of survival rests a great deal on where they’re born, the quality of medical care they’ll receive and how quickly they get it.
Unicef says that in South Sudan, 40 babies for every 1000 will die within 28 days of birth. That compares with 20 in Kenya, 27 in Ethiopia and 29 in Sudan.
But despite the challenges of ongoing conflict, floods and no equipment, staff at the Médecins Sans Frontières clinic in Malakal, in South Sudan’s upper Nile State, are working to save every baby they can.
With no incubators, they even fill medical gloves with warm water and surround a baby with them in an attempt to keep the child warm. They’re also using a technique called ‘skin-on-skin’ or ‘kangeroo care’.
The Â鶹Éç’s Mercy Juma visited the clinic and has been speaking to Alan Kasujja for Africa Daily.
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