Working with the University Hospital Center in Casablanca and Operation Smile in Morocco to aid in the implementation of educational programming to teach neonatal resuscitation techniques in resource limited settings. Specifically, teaching local nurses and midwives using simulation-based Helping Babies Breathe/Essential Newborn Care and Helping Mothers Survive programs. We will also be teaching pediatric emergency triage assessment and treatment and basic life support skills to medical students and other healthcare providers around Morocco. The hope is to adapt teaching based on the available resources understanding the socioeconomic factors that may affect the ability of the hospital infrastructure to implement techniques. But also understanding that adaptation to the cultural context in Morocco will ultimately shape how this education will materialize and recognizing that it may differ from what is seen in a Western context.
We will work with the hospital staff at the University Hospital Center Ibn Rochd in Casablanca with ultimate benefit to neonates, mothers and families in Morocco. The infant mortality rate for Morocco in 2023 was approximately 16 deaths per 1000 live births which was three times the rate in the Unites States. It is our jobs as pediatricians to intervene on behalf of this vulnerable population both domestically and abroad until no infant dies of preventable causes at birth. It is vital to equip healthcare workers with not only the skills and understanding but the confidence necessary to provide life-saving care to neonates in the perilous perinatal period. It is also important to work with medical students and other healthcare providers in Morocco as we will be helping inform the next generation of practitioners ensuring sustainability as they become the primary educators for years to come.
The expected impact is to equip healthcare workers with the knowledge and skills needed to quickly recognize an emergent scenario and give life saving care through an individualized and simulation based practice. The goal is to make a difference through the long term assessment of effectiveness of the teaching program to guide changes in practice based on this education. As part of the Helping Mother and Babies Survive initiative, there are regular follow-up sessions at the facility to reinforce and sustain the skills learned. We will plan to assess the effectiveness and scalability of these trainings understanding what adaptations needs to take place in order to implement this programming in other settings. With the ultimate hope of improving neonatal outcomes globally in limited resource environments.
