The reduction of child mortality is listed as a priority target under The Millennium Development Goals of the United Nations.
The number of under-five deaths worldwide has declined from more than 12 million deaths per year in 1990 to 7.6 million in 2010. The highest rate of child mortality remains in Sub-Saharan Africa, where progress has been slowest.
The decline is not seen across all age groups however. Neonatal mortality (i.e. below 4 weeks of age) currently represents an increasingly large share of overall child mortality, well over 40%. We strive to change this.
X-mas 2020 a busy and troubled COVID time (download summary flyer)
Despite little NEWS on our website we have been busy behind the scenes. In collaboration with the Persis Association and the University Hospitals of Geneva, we have been able to drive different projects. We wish to heartfully thank all our supporters!
1. Our collaboration with the Persis Association has led to a strong bond. The construction of the wonderful new Antonio Bruni maternity hospital following support by our (family) architectural and (hospital professional) functional advice is up and running. We continue to support education in neonatal care. In mid 2019 we have also been able to send some large medical equipment for neonatal care donated to 4earlylife in Geneva.
2. In 2020, we have successfully launched the miniDNA, a database recording global neonatal health data in low-income countries with the help of a Master student (Sofia Schumacher) and a young doctor from Burkina Faso (Persis Zala) supported by a Swiss Government Fund for Excellency for a doctoral thesis at the University Hospitals Geneva. You can read more in French on this project.
Thanks to the financial support of local data managers by 4earlylife, more than 500 newborns have already been recruited in three maternity hospitals in Burkina Faso and serve as a pilot for improvement and setting-up of a local quality improvement process. Have a look at the executive summary of the project. We plan to work on a secure cloud-based application to facilitate data entry and recruit more hospitals in French speaking West-Africa and have already secured some funding with a very generous donation of the Max Pfister AG from St. Gallen.
3. With financial support of the Geneva University Hospitals, we have been able to launch a teaching collaborative project with the Neonatal Unit in Dharan, in Eastern Nepal, just before the first COVID wave. Together with a Geneva Universit Hospital teaching nurse and with the financial support of the Geneva University Hospitaly, we have launched a Neonatal resuscitation program, started a simulation-based nurse education program in neonatal intensive care and explored together with the local team bottlenecks for further teaching elemets. We have planned to have our Nepali colleagues coming for an exchange teaching visit to Geneva as soon as COVID allows.
4. In terms of equipment, of the five ‘low-fidelity’ Laerdal delivery simulation mannequins acquired in 2019, two have been donated, one for Burundi within a collaboration with Burundi Kids, and the other to a hospital colleague engaged in a mission with MSF in late 2019. In 2020, COVID has not allowed many on-site missions and we look forward to a better 2021.
We wish to thank Anandic® and MK-Med® for their generous donation of very valuable medical equipment, resuscitation tables and phototherapy devices. For economic reasons these are shipped to our African collaborators whenever container-space becomes available.
5. Together with a Master student at Geneva University (Liv Christen) we have made quite a step forward in developing an ultra-low-cost Bilirubin measurement technique we call BILIFREE. Bilirubin is a naturally occurring yellow break-down product of blood that is toxic to the newborns brain. Increased quantities of bilirubin are found in up to 30% of neonates as clearance by the liver is slow due to immaturity. Treatment is cheap and simple with blue light. In low-income countries the high costs of measuring bilirubin prevent diagnosis, thus leading to what is considered one of the highest avoidable causes of handicap.
In essence BILIFREE allows a very small blood sample in a glass tube to be centrifugated or sedimented for visual and smartphone based colour detection. A scientific evaluation will start in early 2021 in the neonatal unit of the University Hospitals Geneva after obtaining ethical approval and even some hospital funding.
X-mas, 2018 Merry X-may with the piano recital by Orlan and Soel for 4earlylife
We wish you all a merry X-mas through this music-clip of Orlan and Soel and their family. Their performance has allowed to fundraise for a our projet to support neontal resuscitation courses in the north of Burkina Faso.
December 1, 2018 Piano recital 4earlylife by Orlan and Soel, premature twins now 7 year old
7 years ago, Orlan and Soel were both born very prematurely at the Geneva University Hospitals. Almost since back home, music has become their friend and very early the piano their instrument to move in this musical field. Their parents, Séverine and Alban and all the family have supported their musical talent and overcame many of the difficulties of premature infants by facilitating their strive in this artistic dimension.
In 2017, the two boys, just six in age, returned to the Geneva Neonatal Unit for a recital not only for the medical and nursing team, but very specially for all babies with their parents present at this Christmas concert. No words can describe the good their presence and concert has brought to parents of the premature babies and the whole unit.
We are very greatful that Orlan and Soel and their parents bless us with a Christmas concert for the benefit of our 4earlylife projects. The concert will be held on 1.12.1019 16h00 in Meyrin/Geneva at the auditory of the Meyrin Township.
Click here to look at the Meyrin Bulletin number 210 for more information.
June 2018 Antonio Bruni Maternity opens in Ouahigouya - Burkina Faso
We are very happy to hear of the lucky brith of the first babies at the Antonio Bruni Maternity on 15.5.2018! This is the departure of a phatastic adventure and achievement of a great preparatory work and we are very happy to have been able to support with our knowhow to the development of the neonatal unit as well as the neonatal education of Dr. Jonas Ayéroué who is the Neonatologist on site.
The motto of the maternity hospital is: care - eduation - prevention
Hear the radio-interview of Dr. Zala, the medical director of the Paediatrics hospital in Ouahygouya carried by the Persis Foundation.
January 2018 Antonio Bruni Maternity hospital opens in Ouahigouya - Burkina Faso
We are very happy to hear from Bernard and Irène Mivelaz (Persis Fundation) that the new maternity hospital Antonio Bruni in the north of Burkina Faso is ready to open. 5 years down the track of the first plans, this facility now extends the already renound Centre Médico Chirurgical Pédiatrique Persis to support and develop care to newborns and their mothers. Check out their recent newsletter!
We are proud to have been able to participate to the architectural and functional planning of the structure as well as the teaching of the pediatrician in charge of the neonatal unit, Dr. Jonas Ayéroué. We are committed to continue the support.
April/mai 2017 Great FUNDRAISING!
11.5.2017 ROTARY Club Geneva International EVENT
Rotary Club Geneva International holds a CHARITY GALA DINNER & AUCTION at the Intercontinental Hotel Geneva in favor of a Swiss technical innovation to reduce infant mortality. Read more below. Everyone can participate!
Information : www.rc-geneve-international.org
Booking : www.en.xing-events.com/DGABJMD
9.5.2017 Lions Club Geneva EVENT
Lions Club Geneva-Lac holds a CHARITY GALA DINNER & AUCTION at the Grand Hotel Kempinsky Geneva in favor of a pediatric and neonatal Hospital in Ouahigouya - Burkin Faso. We have participated to the architectural desing of the new obstetric and neonatal section and supported the education in neonatology of the pediatrician in charge of the neonatal section. After one year of specific education at Geneva Univeristy Hospital Neonatology under the supervision of R. Pfister Dr. Ayeroué is now back in his country to improve the care of newborns. Help us to support the project and come to the Gala Dinner!
Information : A information leaflet can be downloades here and the project summary here.
October 2016 Thanks! The Mayrhofer family supports 4earlylife with a fundraiser
Although the weather did not play very nicely that day, the Mayerhofer family in St. Gallen has no doubt had lots of succes with an incredible choice of cakes and bread and other pasteries to support our association. Many thanks to this great initative of the Mayrhofer family!
September 2016 4earlylife supports Neonatal Resusciation training in NEPAL
4earlylife supported a pediatric team from HUG (Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève) with a Laerdal birth simulator and neonatal mannequins to train neonatal care at birth and neonatal resuscitation during a recent mission in NEPAL. The HUG team with Noemie Wagner and Laurence Lacroix brought support to the region of Gandaki devastated by the April earthquake.
L'enseignement et puis les mannequins qui se reposent (sèchent)
1.1.2016 Happy New Year from 4earlylife
We had a full and interesting 2015. Read more for the summary of 2015 activities and achivements. Thank you for your continuous support!
18-19.6.2015 Neonatal resuscitation course in Gabon: Drs. C. Exhenry and R. Pfister give a Neonatal resucitation course for instructors at Agondjé University Hospital in Libreville with the support of the local director Prof. Simon Ategbo, NNIA and Gabon's ministry of health and finish on the first page of the local newspaper...
25.2.2015 Fundraising evening 4earlylife: To support financing of a new reference centre for Kangaroo Care in Douala Cameroon, Cristina, Rym, Mia, Tania, Yasmina, Sara and Sevyn have organised an incredible fundraising evening at Insensé in Geneva. Thank you for this fabulous support!
16.1.2015 International Neonatology Congress: Dr. R. Pfister organizes with and for the Swiss Society for Neonatology the annual Congress in Geneva with the main topic of Cooperation in the field of early life. Click for the Congress leaflet...
28.12.2014 Ventilation for the Bonassama paediatric services: Thanks to a generous sponsor we have been able to install ambient ventilation in all patient rooms. This will greatly improve patient and parent comfort and most likely also in-hospital infections. Read more here...
17.11.2014 World Prematurity Day: Neonatology at Geneva University Hospital and Bonassama district Hospital in Cameroon simulataneously celebrate mothers and their premature baby
Nov 2014 Visit of BPKIHS in Nepal - 11’000 deliveries per year and Kangaroo CareC could help to reduce crowded Neonatology and Paediatric wards
17.4.2014 Kangaroo Care Bonassama wins a prize at Geneva Heath Forum 2014
23.3.2014 Funding to equip all the Bonassama pediatric section with ceiling fans was obtained and installation can go ahead! Many thanks to our donor!
27.2.2014 Bravo! today the Bonassma unit was officially accreditated as kangaroo unit!
23.2.2014 Today we had the highest-ever simultaneous presence of Kangaroo Care babies (9 low birth weigh babies of which two twins couples) at Bonassama District Hospital. Only 3 appropriate beds are available so far for the 7 mothers; four of them had to be temporarily assigned beds in the pediatric section.
01.01.2014 Our epidemiological publication, based on our current work in Cameroon, was just made available online.
25.12.2013 Happy 2014 Newsletter (our Kangaroo Care cooperation story) also in French
17.11.2013 Today is the 3rd World Prematurity day
15.11.2013 Follow us un Twitter - @4earlylife
14.09.2013 Happy first birthday to our first Kangaroo baby! click here for more info!
