According to Every New Born Action Plan, “Interventions for both woman and baby delivered at the same time in the same place by the same health care provider/team will have the highest impact on saving lives and improving health at every health facility”.
Essential Newborn Care includes:
- Early initiation and exclusive breastfeeding: PPHI Sindh have already trained its health care providers on importance of breastfeeding and these HCP are counselling mothers and family on benefits of colostrum and exclusive breastfeeding by partnering with Sindh nutrition program in 9 districts supported by World Bank.
- Thermal Care: This step is also being implemented at health facilities where health care providers are instructed to follow all the protocols i.e. prompt drying and covering the baby at birth, delayed bathing, maintaining skin to skin (KMC care).
- Hygiene practices: including proper implementation of Infection Prevention practices, Proper cord clamping and cutting is being done at all HFs where deliveries are conducted.
In order to ensure that all Essential Newborn Care practices are being followed thoroughly a ‘newborn corner’ will be established at each of the BHU plus center. In case of high work load facility an extra midwife will be hired, whereas in low case load facility existing staff will be utilized. The staff will be trained on necessary interventions that will be applied at the newborn corner and providing quality services for saving newborn lives.