A “major gap” exists in the effort to decrease neonatal death
by providing care to the infant intrapartum and early
postnatally. Nurses and physicians with skills to care fo
children and, especially, neonates at birth are in very shor
supply in areas with high neonatal mortality. A recen
publication points to a survey in sub-Saharan Africa tha
found that 15% of maternity hospitals had appropriate staff and
equipment to perform neonatal resuscitation for a population
where it is reasonable to expect that 30% of neonatal deaths can
be averted. Attention is drawn to the need for new initiatives
with Helping Babies Breathe mentioned specifically.
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Helping Babies Breathe is the product of rigorous effort to create a tested
effective intervention to improve neonatal survival. The
curriculum is designed to be part of a comprehensive