Ten years of newborn respiratory support, six years of surfactant replacement training in Nigeria; opportunities and partnerships for saving newborn lives
Keywords:
healthcare newborn resuscitation oxygen administrationAbstract
Background Newborn respiratory support (NRS) is desirable in Nigerian healthcare delivery system. Respiratory support is associated with increase newborn survival in high income countries. NRS capacity was an uncommon skill set in Nigeria healthcare system. The interventions available were newborn resuscitation, oxygen administration and improvised CPAP. NRS service is the missing link to saving newborn lives. The capacity gap for NRS was noted in 2012 by the Benin working group. A modular approach with hand-on demonstration on selected topics were developed and used for simulation-based training (SBT) of newborn healthcare workers leading to the commencement of respiratory support services.
Aim and objectives: Ten-year audit of the trainings and activities of the newborn RSG Group
Results: In ten years and 30 trainings, 1240 newborn care providers (consultant paediatricians, senior registrars, registrars, medical officers, nurses, paramedics) were trained. There were 18 (60%) public and 12 ((40%) private (solicited) trainings at Lagos (6), Abuja (5) Port Harcourt (3), Kaduna, Benin, Ibadan (2), Asaba (2), Okija, Birnin Kebbi, Akure, Uyo, Kano, Enugu (1) and Cotonou, Benin Republic (1). The SRT (master class) trained 201 newborn healthcare practitioners in its first year at Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt on MIST/LISA surfactant administration techniques, subsequently became part of the respiratory support trainings. Surfactant uptake increased from 300 doses in 2019 to 7,535 doses by 2024
Conclusion: Newborn respiratory support and SRT trainings using novel methods and SBT increased the uptake and provision of respiratory support services and surfactant uptake in Nigeria and the sub region for saving newborn lives.
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