Since Essential Life Saving Skills for Africa (ELSSA) – a NI charity (no. 100712) started the Essential Obstetric (Mother) and New Born Baby Care course in South Sudan, in 2013, it has become evident that a more in depth module on newborn resuscitation and care was needed.
Helping Babies Breathe (HBB) is an evidence-based, hands-on training programme developed to reduce newborn baby deaths (mortality) in resource-poor environments. It was developed by the American Association of Paediatrics in 2010 and trains local nurses & midwives in the most successful ways to save a newborn’s life in the first critical minute after birth, known as The Golden Minute. The project trains midwives in the HBB skills but also provides each with a newborn baby resuscitator. The resuscitator remains with the midwife and so can, and will, be used to save the lives of many babies. The project has been running for some years in many other countries and the results show up to 47% reduction in neonatal mortality and still births i.e. thousands of infants surviving.
In addition, the HBB course trains local midwife trainers; who then can continue to train other midwives and reinforce the learning, resulting in a sustainable programme that repeats itself for years to come. All teaching materials are freely available, but the newborn baby resuscitator – (newborn bag & mask) has to be bought.
ELSSA aims to provide each midwife with training and a newborn resuscitator kit; the cost is £50 each. We need your support for this valuable project, your donation and support will directly contribute to the survival of newborn babies.
How can YOU HELP or get involved?
Donate – or through Virgin Money Giving.Com
We need volunteers
- To Promote funding –
- run fundraising events
- or undertake personal challenges eg Fun runs etc.