Expansion of the station through new construction and training of employees

Project partners

SolidarMed - Swiss non-profit organization for Health in Africa. Tax exemption according to § 70 Abs. 1 lit. h StG and Art. 56 lit. g. DBG (Switzerland).

Form of organization: SolidarMed is an association under Swiss law. The aim of the association is the promotion of medical care in countries of the South.

Responsible for the project on site: Dr. med. Peter Hellmold

Local partners in Lugala, Malinyi District, Morogoro, Tanzania: District Executive Director (DED)/District Medical Officer (DMO) Malinyi District; Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Tanzania, Ulanga-Kilombero Diocese (ELCT-UKD)

Project description

The Brockmeyer Foundation has been working since 2018 together with the Swiss organization SolidarMed to reduce the neonatal mortality in the Malinyi district. The neonatal unit opened at Lugala Hospital in July 2019 and has been instrumental in improving medical care for vulnerable newborns. Since then, 631 newborns have benefited from the specialized care provided in this unit (195 in 2019 and 436 in 2020). Each month, between 36 and 39 preterm babies and newborns with health conditions were admitted and cared for in the Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) ward. Due to the great need the neonatal unit was expanded by one unit in 2020.

In 2020/2021, the Brockmeyer Foundation supported the following activities:

1. Expansion of the preterm neonatal ward I (built in funding project Project I) by the construction of a new neonatal ward II.
2. Procurement of furniture and equipment, including 3 pulse oximeters, 3 oxygen concentrators, five pediatric stethoscopes, as well as various electrical appliances and 40 mosquito nets. In addition, the station was equipped with cold and hot water taps.
3. Capacity building by training of health personnel working in the maternity ward of the Lugala Hospital. Bedside-mentoring was provided to 19 midwives and 13 doctors.
4. Project management and quality assurance. Scientific monitoring and evaluation of the project success according to the guidelines from Tanzania and the World Health Organization (WHO).