UNICEF Cuba accompanies MINSAP in a national Workshop to update the management of preterm newborns, low birth weight, intrauterine growth retardation and infections

Havana, March 7, 2023.- UNICEF Cuba, with the support of the Spanish Committee of UNICEF, thanks to the contribution of the Government of Extremadura, through the Extremadura Agency of International Cooperation for Development (AEXCID), accompanies the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP) in the national update Workshop on the management of preterm newborns, low birth weight, intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) and infections, which brings together 62 specialists in the Cuban capital, including provincial heads of Neonatology, Heads of Reference Services in Havana and members of the National Neonatal Nursing Group.

In the event’s opening remarks, Dr. Reinol García Moreiro, Vice-Minister of MINSAP, underscored the importance of the meeting, called for socializing the results achieved in all the provinces and thanked UNICEF for its continued support to the Cuban health system.

Through specialized conferences and the exchange of experiences, the workshop is an excellent opportunity to update specific knowledge on the care of preterm newborns in neonatal units, as well as on the diagnosis, support measures and treatment of neonatal infections and on the nutritional management of preterm newborns or those affected by low birth weight and IUGR.

Among the lectures given were those of Dr. Elizabeth Lopez, who addressed the behavior of prematurity in Cuba in the last five years. Meanwhile, Dr. Dayana Couto shared an update on how to care for pregnant women at risk of preterm delivery. In addition, Dr. Fernando Domínguez Dieppa gave a lecture on neurological emergencies in preterm newborns.

The best practices shared in the workshop will contribute to increasing the competencies and performance of physicians and nurses responsible for neonatal care. This will make it possible to increase the survival rate of preterm newborns and those affected by low birth weight and IUGR, as well as to reduce neonatal infections and preventable neonatal mortality.

According to MINSAP data, in 2022 Cuba recorded an infant mortality rate of 7.5 per thousand live births, with 39 fewer deaths than in 2021, when a rate of 7.6 was reported.

The territories with the best rates were Cienfuegos with 4.3, Holguín with 4.5, Sancti Spíritus with 4.7, Matanzas with 5.0, Artemisa with 5.4, Pinar del Río with 5.9 and the Isle of Youth special municipality with 2.6.

The main causes of infant mortality in children under one year of age were perinatal conditions, mainly related to low birth weight, prematurity and intrauterine growth retardation, in addition to congenital malformations and sepsis.