{"id":96312,"date":"2026-10-19T12:58:57","date_gmt":"2026-10-19T12:58:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/doctorswithafrica.org\/?p=96312"},"modified":"2026-10-19T12:59:01","modified_gmt":"2026-10-19T12:59:01","slug":"strengthening-neonatal-care-in-ethiopia-two-years-of-shared-commitment-and-concrete-results","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/doctorswithafrica.org\/it\/strengthening-neonatal-care-in-ethiopia-two-years-of-shared-commitment-and-concrete-results\/","title":{"rendered":"Strengthening Neonatal Care in Ethiopia: two years of shared commitment and concrete results"},"content":{"rendered":"

How can neonatal care be strengthened and made more sustainable? This was the central question behind the Strengthening Neonatology in Ethiopia<\/strong> project, implemented in partnership with the Union of European Neonatal and Perinatal Societies (UENPS),<\/strong> with financial support from Italian Cooperation.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The initiative aimed to improve the quality of care in the maternity and neonatal wards of Suhul General Hospital in Shire, Tigray, and Black Lion Hospital in Addis Ababa<\/strong>, through the sustainable upgrading of infrastructure and equipment and the strengthening of national expertise in neonatal care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By engaging the Ethiopian Federal Ministry of Health (EFMoH),<\/strong> fostering collaboration with the Ethiopian Pediatrics Society (EPS)<\/strong> and involving international experts from UENPS, the project also sought to build sustainable partnerships and promote national and international exchanges to strengthen the neonatal healthcare system as a whole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The project recently concluded with an official event in Addis Ababa, bringing together the institutions and partners involved to reflect on the results achieved and the challenges that lie ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cThis is an emotional day for me, as I attended the project’s launch in Tigray two years ago. We have seen how much it has contributed to supporting vulnerable communities. This project is also about equity and investing in newborns, strengthening Ethiopia’s capacity to grow and thrive. Our ambition is to support the development of an integrated, sustainable healthcare system where every mother and child has the opportunity to survive and thrive, regardless of where they are born.\u201d Stated Luca Carpintieri, Italian Embassy.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The closing event was an opportunity to take stock of two years of joint efforts to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality and to reaffirm a shared commitment to improving care for mothers and newborns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cThe Ministry has made newborn health a priority, but we are still far from achieving the SDGs. The evidence shows that we know what needs to be done. Now, we must act. The Ministry of Health will ensure that investments are effective, efficient and reach the most vulnerable newborns. We must expand this support and scale up what we learn, together,\u201d said Dr. Mariamawit, Maternal and Child Health Director at the Ministry of Health<\/strong>, during the closing event.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The importance of long-term investment and local ownership was also highlighted by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cToday marks the conclusion of this project, but also an opportunity to reflect on what comes next. AICS remains committed to further investing in neonatal care. Maternal and child health remain a priority, and investing in neonatal care means not only providing equipment, but also strengthening the quality of care and human resources. The lessons learned from this project will provide a foundation for improving neonatal care as part of an integrated health system in Ethiopia,\u201d said Michele Morana, Director of AICS<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Strengthening hospitals and healthcare professionals<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the project’s most strategic investments was the provision and installation of biomedical equipment<\/strong> in both hospitals. Essential equipment and supplies included CPAP machines, radiant warmers, phototherapy units, incubators, oxygen concentrators, suction machines and neonatal resuscitation equipment, alongside postnatal medicines, biomedical spare parts and maintenance tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, strengthening neonatal care requires more than infrastructure and equipment. Ensuring that healthcare facilities can maintain their services over time also depends on the skills of healthcare professionals and the capacity of local institutions to sustain the investments made.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For this reason, training and capacity building were central components of the project<\/strong>. A total of 370 healthcare professionals took part in project-supported training initiatives, while 121 healthcare workers, health sector representatives and other stakeholders participated in dedicated workshops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By combining investment in equipment with professional development and institutional collaboration, the project sought to strengthen not only the services available today, but also the capacity to deliver quality neonatal care in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Strengthening Neonatal Care in Ethiopia: key results<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

From August 2024 to September 2026, the project achieved tangible results in improving access to maternal and newborn care, strengthening healthcare professionals’ skills and upgrading hospital facilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

30,841 direct beneficiaries reached<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • 22,083 pregnant women<\/strong> received maternity care services.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • 8,267 newborns<\/strong> were admitted to neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) and received care.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    370 healthcare professionals<\/strong> strengthened their skills in neonatal care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    121 healthcare workers, health sector representatives and partners<\/strong> participated in project-supported workshops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    90% of newborns<\/strong> admitted to neonatal intensive care recovered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    91% of pregnant women and new mothers<\/strong> reported receiving adequate, compassionate, respectful and caring (CRC) services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    2 neonatal wards<\/strong> rehabilitated or renovated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    2 biomedical equipment maintenance centres<\/strong> strengthened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The conclusion of the project marks an important milestone, but the work to improve neonatal care in Ethiopia must continue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The results achieved demonstrate the importance of combining investment in healthcare infrastructure and equipment with professional training, institutional collaboration and long-term sustainability. Building on the experience gained, the partnerships established and the lessons learned, the shared goal remains clear: ensuring that every newborn has access to quality care and every mother has the opportunity to receive safe, respectful and appropriate healthcare, wherever they live.<\/strong><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Improving the quality of maternal and newborn care through better-equipped hospitals, stronger healthcare skills and sustainable partnerships. The \u201cStrengthening Neonatology in Ethiopia\u201d project has officially come to an end, marking two years of work to improve neonatal care in Ethiopia.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":96314,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":0,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2493],"tags":[1598,2529,2687],"argomenti":[2495,2557,2559],"protagonisti":[],"luoghi":[2526,2856,2976],"class_list":["post-96312","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-homenews","tag-uenps","tag-ethiopia","tag-neonatal-care","argomenti-mothers-and-children-first","argomenti-neonatal-health","argomenti-newborn","luoghi-ethiopia","luoghi-addis-ababa","luoghi-shire"],"acf":[],"featured_image_url":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/doctorswithafrica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Nuove-Hero-desktop-sito-2500_764-1-150x150.png","medium":"https:\/\/doctorswithafrica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Nuove-Hero-desktop-sito-2500_764-1-300x92.png","medium_large":"https:\/\/doctorswithafrica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Nuove-Hero-desktop-sito-2500_764-1-768x235.png","large":"https:\/\/doctorswithafrica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Nuove-Hero-desktop-sito-2500_764-1-1024x313.png","1536x1536":"https:\/\/doctorswithafrica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Nuove-Hero-desktop-sito-2500_764-1-1536x469.png","2048x2048":"https:\/\/doctorswithafrica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Nuove-Hero-desktop-sito-2500_764-1-2048x626.png","trp-custom-language-flag":"https:\/\/doctorswithafrica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Nuove-Hero-desktop-sito-2500_764-1-18x6.png"},"post_author":"Flavia Fiacco","assigned_categories":"Homenews","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/doctorswithafrica.org\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96312","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/doctorswithafrica.org\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/doctorswithafrica.org\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/doctorswithafrica.org\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/doctorswithafrica.org\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=96312"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/doctorswithafrica.org\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96312\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":96317,"href":"https:\/\/doctorswithafrica.org\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96312\/revisions\/96317"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/doctorswithafrica.org\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/96314"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/doctorswithafrica.org\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=96312"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/doctorswithafrica.org\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=96312"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/doctorswithafrica.org\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=96312"},{"taxonomy":"argomenti","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/doctorswithafrica.org\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/argomenti?post=96312"},{"taxonomy":"protagonisti","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/doctorswithafrica.org\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/protagonisti?post=96312"},{"taxonomy":"luoghi","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/doctorswithafrica.org\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/luoghi?post=96312"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}