60 Health Practitioners Get Neonatal Training

The ministry of health in collaboration with the Latter-Day Saints Charities yesterday began a two day Mid-level Neonatal resuscitation training in order to reduce the higher rates of maternal death as well as neonatal death.
The workshop was stage at the latter-day saints church on the Horton avenue opposite St. Simon Baptist school.
According to the Ministry’s director of family health services, Dr. Saye D. Bawoo, the rate of neonatal death remains high in Liberia and the training was aimed at preparing up to 60 health practitioners.
“In spite of the global decline we are experiencing in less than five mortality rates, neonatal mortality rate remains unchanged. Neonatal mortality constitute about two-third of the deaths that occurred in infants,” he said.
He pointed out that infection which constitutes 47%, Births at home contributing 29% and premature birth accounting for 24% of neonatal mortality in Liberia.
The infections that bring about neonatal mortality according to Dr. Bawoo include tetanus, pneumonia and diarrhea among others.
Dr. Bernice Dawn also speaking at the training workshop said that the participants in the work shop would be assigned at about health facilities around the country.
She rated the maternal mortality as ratio 10 deaths to every 1,000 women that give birth and neonatal mortality is three times more at 32 deaths to every 1000 infants that are delivered.
She urged the participant to be agents of change to reduce the mortalities rate in the country.
She said that the training will help take the task from the traditional mid wives to professions adding that there would be mentors assign to each of the trainees to help them to cope up with the training they would receive.
Meanwhile, the Latter-day Charities, facilitators of the training, said that at the end of the training each of the participants will be presented resuscitation kit.
One importance of the resuscitation training is that many at times when babies are bore there can be fluid in the air way which could be fatal leading to death.