The MEC for Health in KwaZulu-Natal, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo, will deliver an opening address to more than one thousand neonatal nurses gathered at the Durban’s International Convention Centre on Sunday, 24 October 2010.
The nurses will gather under the auspices of the Neonatal Nursing Association of Southern Africa (NNASA) together with the Council of International Neonatal Nurses (COINN) that are hosting the 7th International Conference for Neonatal Nurses (ICNN) on 24 to 27 October 2010.
This is a groundbreaking conference and aims to attract thousands of neonatal professionals from around the globe to come and share a vision to prevent and reduce neonatal illnesses and deaths. Of the approximately 130 million infants born worldwide each year, it is estimated that four million infants die during the first month of life.
One of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is to reduce the number of childhood deaths under the age of five years by two thirds from 95 per 1000 to 31 per 1000 by 2015. In South Africa, approximately 33 percent of deaths of under five year olds, 44 percent of infant deaths (before one year), and 87 percent of neonatal deaths (in the first month) occur during the first seven days after birth. If the Millennium Development Goal of significantly reducing childhood deaths is to be achieved, a substantial reduction in early neonatal deaths is required.
The conference theme is: “Excellence against all odds, researching solutions for global challenges”, which reflects the aim of all neonatal nurses to constantly give of their best in their pursuit of excellence in patient care.
“The conference comes at a time when we are engaged in finding answers to the question: why do mothers and babies dying? We now know what to do to lower the first week mortality rates of infants weighing 1000g or more in South Africa. We also know how this can be done. What is currently lacking is not the required political will but the vision to translate knowledge into practice. These challenges facing perinatal care in South Africa are mirrored in many other developing countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Problems identified and lessons learned must be shared with others as we strive to improve the care of women and children and achieve the Millennium Development Goal of significantly reducing the number of childhood deaths under the age of five years in the next decade,” says the MEC for Health, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo. “It is for this reason that we look forward to the deliberations, especially learning from the collective intelligence of the world’s neonatal nurses gathered in our shores.”
The MEC will present his address as follows:
Date: 24 October 2010 (Sunday)
Time:17h15
Venue:International Convention Centre, Durban
For more information contact:
Chris Maxon
Cell: 083 447 2869
