UNICEF accompanied MINSAP in a national workshop on the management of extreme and critical preterm newborns in the context of COVID–19

Havana, August 13, 2022.- The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) accompanied the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP) in the National Workshop on Updating the Management of Extreme and Critical Preterm Newborns, in the context of COVID-19. This event is part of the project “Strengthening Health Capacity for the COVID-19 Crisis”, financed by the Government of Japan, and which contributes to strengthening the capacities of Cuba’s national health system in the pandemic scenario.

For two days, heads of Leading Services from each province of the country, members of the National Group of Neonatal Nursing and heads of nursing services in Havana received training from renowned expert Dr. Guillermo Agustín Zambosco, head of neonatology at the Hospital Italiano La Plata, in Argentina.

On the opening day, Dagoberto Rivera, Program Coordinator of UNICEF Cuba, highlighted the value of one of the expected results of the Workshop: the increase in the quality of neonatal care and, thus, the improvement of the survival rate of extreme and critical preterm infants and the reduction of preventable neonatal mortality.

Dr. Tania Margarita Cruz Hernández, Senior Deputy Minister of MINSAP, was present at the closing ceremony, while Dr. Reynol García, Deputy Minister of MINSAP, was present at the opening and closing ceremonies, as a demonstration of the importance given by the country’s health authorities to the topics addressed. Ms. Mamiko Ito, an official of the Embassy of Japan in Cuba, was present at one of the workshop sessions.

In his opening remarks at the Workshop, Dr. Reynol Garcia stated: “the challenge is to face a higher stage of training and improvement of the neonatology specialty, to give priority to the introduction of innovations in science and technology in this field, in order to continue advancing towards the future.

“Today, the country has more than 700 professionals specialized in neonatology and 429 in training, as well as an important number of nursing graduates, health technicians and technologists, who together with the service personnel work to achieve better results in survival and a better quality of life in neonates.

“We thank the Government of Japan for its help in carrying out this workshop, within the framework of the project ‘Strengthening Health Capacity for the COVID-19 Crisis’ and also UNICEF and UNFPA, as implementing agencies that accompany MINSAP in cooperation actions,” concluded Deputy Minister Garcia.

The workshop addressed topics such as reception and stabilization of premature infants in delivery rooms; management of premature newborns in the neonatal unit with a COVID-19 positive mother; nutrition of premature infants and the importance of breastfeeding; diagnosis and treatment of neonatal sepsis during the pandemic. In addition, noninvasive ventilatory support during the pandemic was addressed, as well as other types of patient ventilation.

The workshop allowed participants to strengthen their skills to resuscitate extremely preterm newborns in the delivery room. They were also updated on the integral management of preterm newborns in neonatal units and the nutritional management of newborns. The professionals also broadened their knowledge on the criteria for the administration of blood products and antibiotics in the neonatal period.