Accra, Dec. 2, GNA – The African Foundation for Premature Babies and Neonatal care (AFPNC) has organised “Purple Prematurity summit”, a first multi-sectoral forum to improve and increase acess to quality healthcare for pre-term babies and families in Ghana.
As part of the activities to commemorate the world premature day 2024, the summit aimed to create awareness and strengthen stakeholders and partnership to increase investments in healthcare for premature babies in Ghana.
The event brought together parents, healthcare experts from different disciplines, and scientists with the common goal of improving long-term health of preterm and new-born children.
During a panel discussion, Dr Naa Baake Armah, Senior Specialist Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at the Korle-bu Teaching Hospital, explained that prematurity or pre-term babies were children given birth from 37 to 38 weeks of pregnancy.
He emphasised that there were different levels ofprematurity depending on the gestational age, or how far along a pregnancy is when the baby was born.
According to the Senior specialist, chronic disease such as hypertension, Human immune virus (HIV), Urinal tract infection, kidney diseases, breast cancer, obesity, and others could result in pregnant women to result in pre-term babies, and advised pregnant women to seek healthcare.
She added that ladies between the ages of 28 years had such chronic diseases and those medical conditions needed to be identified and controlled earlier before pregnancy.
Mrs Oheneyere Gifty Anti, Journalist, also said, the multi- sectoral approach must have different variety of important elements, which include health professionals and parents to champion the cause.
She urged health professionals, parent, and advocates needed to collaborate to form a formidable voice to champion the course, adding that, heath professionals must be equipped with training and skills in the health system to provide quality healthcare to everyone.
Mrs Perpetual Ofori Ampofo, President, Ghana Registered Nurses and Medicine Association, highlighted various standards such as sustainable development goal (SDG) 3, to promote well-being and ensure healthy lives for all people at all ages.
She added that every country must embrace and implement the SDG 3 to help reduce the death of pre-mature babies.
She highlighted the importance of the goal, saying, “we need to reignite stakeholders commitment and advancing care for pre-term babies and increasing investments on neonatal cate to meet the SDG 3 by 2030”.
She urged government and all stakeholders to provide adequate resources, equipment, and to train healthcare professionals to help improve quality health system for everyone.
The Summit, which is in patnership with the WaterAid Ghana, Accra college of Medicine, Ghana Health Services(GHS) , WHO, USAID, SOGOG and others, brought together stakeholders to discuss critical issues and sustainable solutions for preterm babies.
A citation of honour was presented to Professor Esi Hesse, President of College of Medicine, for her unwavering commitment and dedication in the health system.
AFPNC is the first pan-African organization and network that has been at the forefront of advocating for quality healthcare for pre-term and new-born infants and families in Africa.
GNA