We developed a low-cost integrated newborn care kit (iNCK) that reduces death and helps mothers identify illness in their babies. In 2015, over 280,000 newborns died in only two South Asian countries, Pakistan and Afghanistan, from causes that are largely preventable. So far, about 2,500 pregnant women in Pakistan have received the iNCK and the results have been very positive. Your donation will give iNCKs and education to women and will ultimately save newborn lives.

Challenge

Almost every newborn death should be preventable. However, this year, almost 3 million newborns will die within their first month. Newborn mortality rates in Pakistan and Afghanistan are among the highest in the world. Most deaths occur in rural areas far from health care facilities. Many factors contribute to newborn deaths in these settings including high rates of home delivery, poor access to health care, unhygienic and sometimes harmful birthing practices.

Long-Term Impact

Data from our initial scientific studies suggest that we can expect to reduce newborn mortality rates by at least 30% and save close to 1400 newborn lives over a period of 1-year. We aim to distribute 100,000 life-saving iNCKs to pregnant women in rural areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Our long-term goal is to gather evidence to present to governments to gain support for scaled-up sustainable distribution of the kit in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and other similar resource-constrained settings.

References

1. https://www.sickkidsfoundation.com
2. https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/articles/2016/11/01/newborn-survival-kits-help-children-live-past-first-month
3. http://www.sickkids.ca/globalchildhealth/research/integrated%20toolkit%20pakistan.html
4. https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2015/03/07/international-womens-day-a-qa-with-sickkids-researcher-dr-lisa-pell.html
5. http://www.sickkids.ca/AboutSickKids/Directory/People/M/Shaun_Morris.html

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