submitted by Amanda Parsons
Babies across the globe, wealthy or poor alike, all face the same treacherous moment—the moment when they take their first breath. And for 829,000 babies each year, this moment is their last. These infants require help to fill their lungs with life-sustaining air and for too many poor nations, the knowledge and tools to necessary to save them aren’t available.
USAID is working with the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Laerdal Medical AS, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and Save the Children to correct this issue through the “Helping Babies Breathe” initiative. This international campaign aims to prevent birth asphyxia through teaching midwives and birth attendants in poor countries how to gently nudge newborns into the world of respiration.
The Washington Post recently highlighted our unique, life-saving effort in an article explaining the breadth and scope of the program. We thought we’d share it with you so you could see how emphasizing simple actions within poor communities, like washing one’s hands before handling an infant, has already reduced infant mortality rates in pilot programs.
