Limited access to specialized neonatal health care has been linked to the deaths of infants over the years and while the mortality rate has come down more still needs to be done, according to Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony.
The Ministry of Health partnered with the NGO, Giving Health to Kids Organization (GHTK) for a second conference at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre on Saturday, following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) last year. This year, the conference saw over 250 persons in the medical field engaging in training on advancing neonatal care. The collaborative effort is set to establish a comprehensive neonatal network that extends support not only to medical experts but also to the general public.
Anthony commended the notable decrease in the infant mortality rate in Guyana over the past few years and took the opportunity to acknowledge the collective efforts of healthcare professionals, government initiatives, and community engagement in achieving this positive trend.
According to Macro-trends, a global metric platform which cites the United Nation – Worlds Population Prospects the current infant mortality rate stands at 24.709 deaths per 1000 live births, highlighting a 1.64% decline from 2022. Moreover, the statistics for 2022 showed a rate of 25.120 deaths per 1000 live births, underlining a 1.61% decline from 2021. The infant mortality rate for Guyana in 2021 was 25.531 deaths per 1000 live births, marking a 1.58 decline from 2020.
This data showed a significant decrease, in comparison to the rate of deaths in infant mortality between the years 2014 to 2019, seeing rates as high as 30.677 as recorded in 2014. The trends in infant mortality rates in Guyana for the past nine years, highlighted a decrease by approximately 19.47% from 2014 to 2023 with occasional fluctuations.
Despite the substantial decrease, the minister emphasized the need for healthcare improvement across all regions of Guyana. He stressed that consistent and uniform standards should prevail at every healthcare hospital and clinic, irrespective of location, as the health and well-being of all citizens should be equally prioritized.
“We’ve come a long way. Our infant mortality rates are dropping, however there is still room for improvement, because some regions do better than other and if we are to have standards, we would need to have a level across all regions”, he told the conference.
It was also noted that the Ministry is currently grappling with challenges concerning patients in need of paediatric cardiac surgery. However, amid these challenges, the service is in the process of reintroduction at the Georgetown Public Hospital.
Guyana’s first specialised Paediatric and Maternal Hospital in Ogle will also include a specialized suite for paediatric cardiac surgery with a team of medical personnel trained to manage these patients.
“One of the areas we want to focus on is to make sure our babies are well-taken care of”, he said.
At the heart of this collaboration lies the establishment of a comprehensive neonatal network that serves as a resource hub for both healthcare professionals and the public. The network will encompass advanced training to health care providers to enhance their neonatal care capabilities and subspecialize in paediatrics. Parents, caregivers, and community leaders will gain access to educational resources promoting healthy infant care practices in the future.
The partnership between the ministry and the Canadian charity, GHTK is said to represent a new era in neonatal care. According to a representative from the neonatal department, through the combined efforts, they aim to reduce the high infant mortality rate and provide every child in the nation with the prospect of a healthy and promising future.
This significant step forward in the fight against infant mortality additionally seeks towards sustaining Guyana’s future through Neonatal education and teamwork. As the neonatal network takes shape and begins its vital work, it is hoped that its impact will reverberate throughout the nation, ultimately saving countless young lives and securing a brighter future for children.
