Why are premature babies less likely to survive in South Sudan?
Doctors are working with very few resources 鈥� including incubators. But it鈥檚 hoped techniques like 鈥楰angeroo Care鈥� can improve babies鈥� chances of survival.
Nowadays premature babies 鈥� born at 24 or 28 weeks - can go on to live long happy lives.
But a baby鈥檚 chance of survival rests a great deal on where they鈥檙e born, the quality of medical care they鈥檒l receive and how quickly they get it.
Unicef says that in South Sudan, 40 babies for every 1000 will die within 28 days of birth. That compares with 20 in Kenya, 27 in Ethiopia and 29 in Sudan.
But despite the challenges of ongoing conflict, floods and no equipment, staff at the M茅decins Sans Fronti猫res clinic in Malakal, in South Sudan鈥檚 upper Nile State, are working to save every baby they can.
With no incubators, they even fill medical gloves with warm water and surround a baby with them in an attempt to keep the child warm. They鈥檙e also using a technique called 鈥榮kin-on-skin鈥� or 鈥榢angeroo care鈥�.
The 麻豆社鈥檚 Mercy Juma visited the clinic and has been speaking to Alan Kasujja for Africa Daily.
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