Church Provides Neonatal Resuscitation Training in Cote d'Ivoire

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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, working together with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Cote d'Ivoire Ministry of Health and Universal Health Coverage, organized a  series of “Helping Babies Breathe (HBB)” training sessions from March 20 - 30, 2023 for 66 health care providers in Cote d’Ivoire. The purpose of the training was to provide the health care providers with skills to help reduce infant mortality in the Haut-Sassandra and Nawa regions of Côte d'Ivoire, specifically in the cities of Daloa and Soubré.

These trainings, which were attended by Doctors, Midwives, and other key stakeholders in maternal and child health, were conducted using the HBB technique by a medical team from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints led by Dr. Gordon Glade, a pediatrician specialist and trainer.

The skills training sessions for health workers addressed both the neonatal resuscitation techniques in respiratory distress, and the essential care babies must receive at birth. These efforts are aimed at reducing the mortality rate in Côte d'Ivoire, which ranks among the highest in the world.

Several administrative, health, and ecclesiastical officials from both regions were present at various stages of the training, and attended the ceremony which celebrated the delivery of certificates to the participants.

The officials attending the ceremony included WHO representative Dr. Tall Fatim, Amalaman Moise, who represented the Mayor of the Daloa district, and Gnou Tanoh, the co-ordinating director of the National Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health Program (MNCH) at the Ministry of Health and Universal Health Coverage. “We would like to express our appreciation to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,” said Mr. Tanoh and added “for the past 7 years we have been working together to save the children of Cote d’ Voire.”

Dr. Fatim noted how grateful she was that the World Health Organization has been able to work so closely with the Church in the fight against infant mortality in Cote d’ Ivoire and throughout the world.

In his closing remarks, Mr. Amalaman Moise expressed the following sentiments: “On behalf of the regional minister I would like to express how grateful the "Republic of Cote d'Ivoire" is for this charitable work undertaken by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints." 

Participants from both regions expressed their gratitude to WHO and the Church for this simple but effective training that will enable them to save newborns especially in rural areas.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was represented by Toh Hervé, Counselor in the Dalao Stake Presidency and  Bini Kouakou Dapa, Soubre District President.

Helping Babies Breathe is a stimulation-based neonatal resuscitation program for low resource settings. Focusing on the first minutes after birth are critical to reducing neonatal mortality. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has participated in funding and providing these trainings throughout the world for over a decade. “Government officials and professionals want to decrease their infant mortality rate,” said Sharon Eubank, Director of Humanitarian Initiatives for the Church.  “We know how to help.  It’s in our experience and part of our Church history.  It’s in our DNA.”

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