DOH expects decline in infant deaths

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Health is expecting a sharp decline in infant deaths in the future as it launched the Essential Newborn Care (ENC) Protocol recently.

DOH secretary Francisco Duque III said that the health department believes that the protocol will pave the way for the solution “on the problems we have on neonatal deaths.”

Duque, in a press statement, said that the DOH is optimistic that with the adoption of the program, it will directly reduce the number of newborn deaths in the Philippines.

Health authorities said that the country is one of the 42 countries in the world where 90 percent of all global deaths of under 5 year old children are accounted to although it was noted that there is a decline in infant mortality and child death rates.

DOH analysis showed that 50 percent of these deaths occur during the first two days of life that are caused by birth asphyxia (31%), complications of prematurity (30%) and severe infection (19%).

The protocol was launched in collaboration with the World Health Organization, to help solve the newborn mortality problem because if it is not reduced by at least half, the goal of reducing childhood mortality by two thirds by 2015 would not be met.

The ENC is a comprehensive strategy to improve the health of the newborn through interventions before conception during pregnancy, at and soon after birth, and in the post-natal period. — Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon/WAB (THE FREEMAN)