December 19, 2014 - 16:39 AMT
VivaCell-MTS, BirthLink continue efforts to reduce neonatal mortality

VivaCell-MTS General Manager Ralph Yirikian and Director of BirthLink NGO Kathy Mellor visited the maternity department in the central hospital in Masis town in Ararat province of Armenia.

The hospital has received equipment for immediate reanimation and warming of infants, monitoring and management of respiratory difficulties and the provision of intravenous fluids. The equipment will help support sick and low birth weight babies after delivery, with provision to stabilize babies before transfer to Yerevan or regional centers. By improving facilities, transfer of some babies can be avoided.

The project with VivaCell-MTS concentrates on the first day of life to ensure each maternity facility has doctors and nurses with the proper knowledge and equipment to improve survival of the vulnerable newborn babies. In addition to the equipment being provided, education, training and support for the medical staff continues.

This is the seventh year of cooperation between BirthLink and VivaCell-MTS, to improve the care of sick and premature babies in Armenia, and thereby reduce neonatal mortality. The project commenced in 2008, and till now has supported twelve neonatal departments in Yerevan and twenty-three departments in seven regions of Armenia with about AMD 535 million of support from VivaCell-MTS.

“We want to struggle for the life of every child born in Armenia; we want those children to not only bring happiness to their parents, but also to become healthy and valuable individuals for our society, our country. VivaCell-MTS and BirthLink NGO have their contribution in this struggle, standing next to Armenian doctors, providing them with the necessary equipment, and, why not, also psychological support for making their tough, but invaluable work more effective,” VivaCell-MTS General Manager Ralph Yirikian said.

The ‘Every Newborn’ action plan, led by World Health Organization and UNICEF, believes that nearly 3 million babies and women can be saved each year through investing in quality care around the time of birth and special care for sick and small newborns.