A few weeks ago, Grace asked for some funds (less than $1000) to help her roll out the Neonatal Care Course training in a remote area of Cameroon where one of her ex-colleagues was working in a government health centre.
Mbam is a village in a remote valley of the North-West Region of Cameroon. It is difficult to reach by road and does not have an internet signal. The population there has increased following civil unrest in the Region, as people have felt safer there, away from larger towns, and are also attracted by the fertile farming land of the valley.
Word reached Grace, NICHE International’s programme manager in Cameroon, that two pairs of twins had died on the day of their birth in the government health facility of Mbam. When she spoke to the nurse in charge, she discovered that there are 40-50 births / month in this health centre with a high neonatal mortality both there and in the community. There is no equipment for resuscitating babies and none of the staff had had training.
NICHE International agreed to support training there, and Grace gathered 3 trained Neonatal Care Course Instructors to go with her to Mbam, taking the necessary equipment. The journey was difficult, taking 36 hours including travel at night.
The staff at the clinic appreciated the training course greatly. They were left with a bag valve mask (vital for newborn resuscitation), and a baby manikin to practise the skills they had learnt. *
Grace plans to keep in touch with the health workers to encourage them to maintain their new skills.
*These items were funded by a grant from BMA Giving.
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