Introduction of an Evidence-Based Program of Early Essential Newborn Care (EENC) in Sudan: How Can EENC Reduce Neonatal Morbidity and Mortality?

In Sudan, the newborn mortality rate is estimated to be 33/1,000 live births and has declined at a slower rate than older child mortality over the last 10 years. Newborn deaths currently represent 49% (statistical report, WHO 2012) of under-five child deaths and 64% of all infant deaths, highlighting that the newborn period remains the period of highest risk for all infants. Sepsis and birth asphyxia are the most important immediate causes of infant mortality, with prematurity and low birthweight (LBW) contributing factors to a high fraction of newborn deaths; 32% of all babies are estimated to be low birthweight. Skilled birth attendants attend an estimated 78% of all births, although only 28% of these births take place in a health facility. In this paper, we explore the effort made by the Sudan Ministry of Health to strengthen newborn care by adopting Early Essential Newborn Care (EENC), a package of evidence-based interventions delivered during delivery and in the immediate newborn period using a coaching approach by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Improving Access to Quality Sexual and Reproductive Health for Internally Displaced Women and Girls and Vulnerable Host Communities within the COVID-19 Context in the Northwest and Southwest Regions in Cameroon: Late-Breaker

The six-year-long armed conflict in the Northwest (NW) and Southwest (SW) regions in Cameroon facilitated the displacement of skilled health workers. This contributed to decreased access to basic health care for pregnant women (PW). Many internally displaced persons (IDPs) and vulnerable populations (VPs) lost their income sources and experience exacerbated needs for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) services including family planning (FP), antenatal care (ANC), and delivery services. Funded by GIZ Pro-Passar, Reach Out Cameroon implemented a humanitarian response project aimed to improve access to and uptake of quality SRHR services for women and girls in these conflict-affected regions.

Last Mile Interventions to Eliminate Mother-to-Child Transmission in Post-disaster Settings: Experience from Rural Haiti 

Despite global ambition to end the AIDS epidemic, women from countries with civil and political conflicts live a different reality. With over 150,000 adults living with HIV, Haiti has the largest epidemic in the Caribbean. Haitian women pay the highest price, constituting 60% of people living with HIV (PLWH). Following the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, political instability, collective fear, and poor readiness of public health facilities limited access to HIV testing, which contributed to persistently high mother-to-child transmission of HIV. In collaboration with Haiti's Ministry of Health, Zanmi Lasante launched a breakthrough project to increase access to HIV testing at hard-to-reach facilities. We describe a model intervention to increase early HIV diagnosis among pregnant women and changes in HIV incidence among exposed infants.