Newborn Week 2023 Longleng
Longleng/Wokha, November 15 (MExN): Under the theme “Nurturing Newborn Lives through Community-Facility Engagement,” the National Newborn Week 2023 was launched today at District Hospital Longleng and Wokha.
During the inauguration by the District Health Society Longleng, Dr Tiasunep, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Longleng, stressed the need to create awareness among healthcare professionals and sensitize the general public towards newborn care for overall development. He also emphasised the importance of careful newborn care and nurturing during delivery, encouraging ASHAs to follow up with HBNC until the child reaches 28 days after delivery.
In the keynote address, Dr S Imnameren Phom, District Programme Officer (RCH/UIP), informed that National Newborn Week is celebrated nationwide from November 15 to 21 since 2000 to raise awareness about the importance of newborn care for child survival and development.
He highlighted the crucial nature of the neonatal period (first 28 days of life) for child survival, emphasizing that all newborns require essential care to minimise the risk of illness and maximise their growth and development.
Dr Phom also highlighted key domains and activities, including mentoring and quality visits to newborn care units, labour rooms, quality home-based newborn care visits by ASHAs, and comprehensive newborn screening at delivery points for visible/functional birth defects.
Incentives were given to fully immunised children who came for vaccination during the launching programme. The event included visits to the vaccination room, labour room, and newborn care corner for assessment, informed a press release from the CMO Longleng.
In Wokha, the launching programme was held at CMO Conference Hall Wokha under the aegis of District Health Society Wokha. Addressing the health workers, CMO Wokha, Dr Zubenthung Kikon, said that providing newborn care is crucial to prevent hypothermia and other health risks among infants.
He also encouraged health workers to promote breastfeeding and vaccination among beneficiaries during home visits.
Speaking on the theme, District Programme Officer (UIP/RCH), Dr Thungchangpeni Patton, said ASHAs have an important role in sensitising the community on newborn care and urged them to report any high-risk pregnancy cases in the community to health facilities.
She informed health workers to give special emphasis on antenatal care, promote institutional delivery, and identify low birth weight and preterm babies during the Newborn week.
District Programme Manager, District Community Mobiliser, Block ASHA Coordinators, Block Programme Managers, Medical staff, and Urban ASHAs attended the programme, informed a CMO Wokha release.
