Building a Model African NICU
Over more than a decade, American pediatrician Dr. Stephen Swanson and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) team at Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre (ALMC) transformed the hospital’s NICU to offer amongst the highest level of care available in Tanzania, with survival rates rarely seen in East Africa. His team of ALMC Tanzanian doctors and NICU nurses became highly sought after as educators and healthcare workers in neonatology, demonstrating that small, premature infants weighing as little as 650 grams (1.4 pounds) could routinely survive and thrive in a low-income African NICU.
Tiny Feet, Big Steps International Neonatology Conference
ICHA organizes the annual Tiny Feet, Big Steps - Advancing Care of Critically Ill and Premature Babies in Africa conference.
We are focused on teaching as many hospitals as possible the lessons of the past decade. We are actively modeling a new NICU culture where doctors, nurses, and parents work together in caring for hospitalized infants. Over the previous 4 years, our International African Neonatology Conference has trained over 600 physicians and nurses from 150+ institutions and hospitals across 20 African countries!
To learn more about our annual our 5th annual Tiny Feet, Big Steps Neonatology conference visit our conference website
We are focused on teaching as many hospitals as possible the lessons of the past decade. We are actively modeling a new NICU culture where doctors, nurses, and parents work together in caring for hospitalized infants. Over the previous 4 years, our International African Neonatology Conference has trained over 600 physicians and nurses from 150+ institutions and hospitals across 20 African countries!
To learn more about our annual our 5th annual Tiny Feet, Big Steps Neonatology conference visit our conference website
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Advancing Neonatal Care in Africa
Through the Institute for Child Healthcare Africa, new partnerships are being developed to advance innovative, low-technology, evidence-based solutions to support low-cost neonatal care in Africa. This approach reflects a model of care which has been developed and proven effective by our team. We can help to create a different story, and better outcomes for small and sick babies across our continent.
Building on learning from the conference, our team has traveled to Greece, Thailand, Mongolia and across East Africa to help other hospitals and institutions develop approaches, protocols, systems and team culture needed to improve neonatal care in your unit.
Building on learning from the conference, our team has traveled to Greece, Thailand, Mongolia and across East Africa to help other hospitals and institutions develop approaches, protocols, systems and team culture needed to improve neonatal care in your unit.
Our Impact
We have changed the narrative that small, sick babies rarely survive in Africa. Our outcomes demonstrated that even the smallest baby can survive and thrive. In our Tanzanian NICU, we achieved a 92% adjusted survival rate among nearly 3,000 small and premature babies.
Miracles Do Happen
A 25-week preterm baby who survived during a time when ALMC NICU was pioneering new interventions for small babies in Tanzania.
A 25-week preterm baby who survived during a time when ALMC NICU was pioneering new interventions for small babies in Tanzania.
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Gifts of Care
In a setting where "every breath counts, no matter how small," a dedicated and compassionate NICU team save the life of a tiny baby girl and gifts a miracle to her family. |
Small Details Matter
The participation of the whole family in the healthcare and wellness of tiny babies is important for their growth in the journey from surviving to thriving. Those tiny feet make big steps when small details matter. |
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Kangaroo Mother Care
It takes a village to journey a tiny premature baby of 830 grams (1.8 lbs) to thrive. In this nurturing, compassionate environment, a skilled NICU team works courageously to save tiny lives. |
Tiny Miracles
The babies that survive because of the NICU at Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre (Tanzania) are tiny miracles. |