WHO supports Kangaroo Mother Care trainings for doctors and nurses to reduce neonatal mortality

WHO supports the training of 200 doctors and nurses in Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) a life-saving intervention package for preterm and low birth weight babies that account for one third of neonatal deaths in Bangladesh.

The trainings are organized by National Newborn Health Program (NNHP) & Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) Program under MNC&AH Operational Plan, implemented by Directorate General for Health Systems (DGHS) and are addressed to health professionals from Medical Colleges, District Hospitals and Upazila Health Complexes.

The three days training organized in ten batches will equip service providers with necessary skills and knowledge on KMC to further train and advise parents on caring of low-birth-weight (LBW) newborns or premature babies and spread this service at grass root level.  

“KMC is initiated at a health facility and continued at home under the supervision of health staff and involves early, continuous and prolonged skin-to-skin contact between a mother and her newborn, frequent and exclusive breastfeeding as well as early discharge from hospital. This is an effective way to meet baby’s needs for warmth, breastfeeding, protection from infection, stimulation, safety and love.” Says Dr Mahbuba Khan, WHO National Professional Officer, Making Pregnancy Safer.

Every year, more than 20 million infants are born weighing less than 2.5kg – over 96% of them in developing countries. These LBW infants are at increased risk of early growth retardation, infectious disease, developmental delay and death during infancy and childhood.

WHO Bangladesh/ C. Bercaru

Conventional neonatal care of LBW infants is expensive and needs both highly skilled personnel and permanent logistic support. Evidence suggests that KMC is a safe and effective alternative to conventional neonatal care, especially in under-resourced settings and may reduce morbidity and mortality in LBW infants as well as increase breastfeeding.

Bangladesh has made substantial improvement in reducing child mortality but still the neonatal mortality is unexpectedly high, complications due to prematurity, intra-partum related deaths -including birth asphyxia - and neonatal infections are the major contributors for neonatal deaths.

However, newborn deaths are largely preventable and the Government of Bangladesh has declared its commitment towards reaching the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of reducing neonatal mortality rate to at least as low as 12 per1000 live births by 2030.

KMC is part of these efforts to reach SDG and it has been included in the newborn action plans in South East Asia Region countries, as well as in Bangladesh’s Operational Plan of Maternal Neonatal Child and Adolescent Health (MNC&AH) under current 4th Health Population and Nutrition Sector Program.

Furthermore, the Government has taken initiative to increase the utilization of KMC throughout the country by establishing 142 KMC centers in public health facilities, aiming to increase to 200 by 2022.

“Kangaroo mother care is a powerful, easy-to-use method to promote the health and well-being of infants born preterm as well as full-term. For infants without medical problems, research and experience show that KMC is at least equivalent to conventional care (incubators), in terms of safety and thermal protection.” added Dr Khan.

In Bangladesh, WHO supported the KMC trainings by offering financial and technical assistance to NNHP & IMCI Programs under MNC&AH Operational Plan, implemented by Directorate General for Health Services (DGHS).

WHO continues to support Government in developing and implementing effective programs to reach the maternal and child health related SDGs, which are essential steps on the way towards the Universal Health Coverage. 

Contact Details of WHO Bangladesh

Dr Bardan Jung Rana, WHO Representative to Bangladesh ranab@who.int

Dr Bhupinder Aulakh, Deputy WHO Representative, Team Leader, Health of children, adolescents and mothers aulakhb@who.int

Dr Mahbuba Khan, National Professional Officer, Making Pregnancy Safer khanmah@who.int

Catalin Bercaru, Communication and media relations bercaruc@who.int