Sepsis critical killer of newborns – study


RESEARCH has shown that sepsis is among the leading causes of death in newborns countrywide, responsible for around 30 per cent of mortalities. Additionally, recent studies estimate that the prevalence of sepsis among babies in Dar es Salaam hospitals is between 25 per cent and 30 per cent.
 
According to a statement issued by WaterAid Tanzania, Simavi, and the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR), something can be done to prevent sepsis as well as other Healthcare Associated Infections (HCAI).

“By proving adequate access to water and sanitation facilities and ensuring good hygiene practices at healthcare facilities, including hand washing practices by healthcare workers sepsis among HCAI can be prevented,” the statement said.

As the world marks the World Hand Hygiene Day, the three parties have called upon all health workers and health facility leaders to make hand hygiene a priority. “This simple but effective action could help to improve the quality of healthcare services in the country and reduce morbidity and mortalities rates among neonates, pregnant women and mothers, surgical patients, and other vulnerable groups.

Preventing infections through hand washing can additionally have an impact on the economy. By lessening the burden on the health sector, we are able to invest the money saved elsewhere to keep the economy growing,” the statement further notes.

The statement also notes that the launching of the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in Healthcare Facilities guidelines last year, would set the national standards for WASH in healthcare facilities in the country; and putting into operation the infection prevention and control programmes as well as the broader health quality promotion initiatives.

These programmes stress the importance of hand washing among actions to prevent infection and promote clean and safe healthcare environments. Over the years, Tanzania has achieved many commendable successes in improving public health, particularly in the field of control of infectious diseases like malaria and HIV. However, we are yet to see measurable progress in reducing neonatal deaths.

The rate of neonatal deaths was 40.4 per 1,000 live births in 1999, and 32 per 1,000 live births in 2004/05. Some of these mortalities result from an unsafe birth environment, where there is little access to water, sanitation and good hygiene.

Dr Hamisi Malebo, from the National Institute of Medical Research notes that sepsis is estimated to affect more than 30 million patients every year worldwide. “We need to step up global efforts to reduce this infection, and hand washing is a simple but effective way in which we can do so.

In Tanzania, we have recently set up the Tanzania WASH and IPC network (TWAIN), which aims to bring stakeholders from the health sector and those from the WASH sector together, to combine efforts to tackle infections at healthcare facilities,” noted Dr Malebo.

The Country Director of WaterAid Tanzania, Dr Ibrahim Kabole, pointed out that over the past few years, Water- Aid Tanzania had been working closely with the Ministry of Health to improve access to water, sanitation and hygiene in healthcare facilities.

He revealed that research showed that good hygiene could reduce 40 per cent of diarrhoeal diseases, while safe water and sanitation could reduce 10 per cent of the global disease burden.

“We will continue to work with the Government to roll out the WASH in healthcare facilities guidelines, which can help to reduce infections and ensure all newborn babies get a healthy start in life,” noted Dr Kabole.

The Programme Manager of Simavi-MKAJI, Ms Thea Bongertman, disclosed their initiative of upgrading water, sanitation and hygiene at rural healthcare facilities in Dodoma Region since 2014, in close collaboration with local authorities, and they will continue doing so.

“We emphasise that it is absolutely vital to share knowledge on good hygiene practices and the positive effects of hand washing in reducing sepsis with healthcare service providers in dispensaries, health centres and hospitals. Nurses, midwives, physicians, clinical officers and health professional students are the gate keepers for controlling and preventing infections,” said Ms Bongertman

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