International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics

The introduction of the Kangaroo Mother Care scheme in Tanzania has helped to save lives, experts have confirmed.

This approach involves mothers holding babies that have been born too early against their own skin rather than putting them in an incubator, so the infants can feel their warmth and have breast milk constantly available, the Citizen reports.

Save the Children believes this is yielding positive results, as there has been a "genuine reduction in newborn mortality rates due to complications related to prematurity".

Indeed, figures from the group showed that while the child mortality rate stood at 41 per cent in the country last year, it has now dropped to 31 per cent.

This means the chances of survival in Tanzania are greater than in places such as Uganda, Kenya and Burundi.

Save the Children added that the Kangaroo Mother Care scheme has been embraced by nearly 2,000 mothers and supported with the rollout of equipment and training for healthcare workers.

Posted by Carla Mackenzie