Abstract
Despite existing policies on training health professionnels in essential newborn care (ENC), neonatal mortality still remains high in Mali. Our work aimed to assess the level of knowledge of health staff about ENC. Material and methods: From March 20th to April 20th, 2016, we interviewed newborn care providers at the six reference health centers and the Gabriel Toure University Hospital Center in Bamako. Results: In total, we interviewed 407 newborn care providers with a sex ratio of 0.52. Interviewees had over five years work experience in 62.1%. They considered a low Apgar score as an indication for neonatal resuscitation in 89%, regardless of profile (p = 0.1583). They knew the good aspiration technique in 54%, with nurses and midwives more knowledgeable (p < 0.001) of the reference health centers (p = 0.0000). The interviewees knew the indication and rate of ventilation in 30.2% and 16.0%, respectively. About one third (34%) thought oxygen administration should be systematic during ventilation. The knowledge level on ventilation was the lowest in the group of general practitioners (p = 0.0063 for oxygen indication and p < 0.001 for the technique). Knowledge level for other ENC components (temperature maintenance, eyes care, breastfeeding) were higher. The knowledge of the delay of the breasting did not correlated with either the profile (p = 0.0857) or the place of practice. The knowledge of the first bath was dependent on both the professional profile (p = 0.0002) and the reference level (p = 0.0238). Conclusion: The level of knowledge of health professionnels on ENC should be improved. This will involve the integration of ENC in initial training curricula along with an appropriate continuing training policy thereafter.
Highlights
Child survival has significantly increased over the past decade with a decline from 75 to 48 deaths per 1000 live births [1]
Despite existing policies on training health professionnels in essential newborn care (ENC), neonatal mortality still remains high in Mali
Material and methods: From March 20th to April 20th, 2016, we interviewed newborn care providers at the six reference health centers and the Gabriel Touré University Hospital Center in Bamako
Summary
Child survival has significantly increased over the past decade with a decline from 75 to 48 deaths per 1000 live births [1]. This decline was still insufficient to reach the global target of reducing by two-thirds the 1990 infantile mortality rates due to the non-reduction of the neonatal mortality in developing countries [2]. Global neonatal mortality, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), is 19 per 1000 live births and accounts for 47% of all deaths under five years old [2] [3]. It led to massive training that resulted in a 47% reduction in neonatal mortality [7]
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