Postnatal care of a newborn, is the care given to a newborn immediately after birth to around 6 weeks .Newborn mortality rates in Kenya seems to be increasing as the years go by .This is due to the poor management of the newborns by either the hospital, parent, guardian or people around them . Hoping this article will be a guide of how we as activists can help in improving newborn health thus reducing the infant mortality rate.

This article was written by Rebel Hub SRHR during “The International Rebel Assembly”.

WAYS OF ADVOCATING FOR BETTER NEWBORN HEALTH #

As activists we can conduct protests in pressuring the government to improve the maternal and infant health sector. Here are just a few ways of how we can protest;

SOCIAL MEDIA #

Social media has very much proven to be a useful tool that can effectively be used to conduct protests pressurizing the government to improve newborn health sectors.

How can social media be used?

• Creating instagram and twitter hashtags such as #improvenewbornhealth and circulate among people

• Creating YouTube videos that showcase poor newborn health services and management even at home thereby pressurizing the government and respective care givers to improve them.

• Engaging the media and providing the information gathered. The media will circulate the information to more people rather relying on social media only.

EDUCATING THE CARE GIVERS AT HOME #

Mothers, guardians and any necessary care giver should be well equipped with knowledge on how to handle a newborn.

A newborn is at risk of getting sick very easily therefore whoever is providing care should be of sound and a sober mind.

They should know their risk factors in the surrounding and at home as well. They should be able to identify the different danger signs and know the effective measures to be taken at any given time.

How could this education be provided to the care giver?

* Through seminars, where the mothers are taught how to handle their newborns.

* Educating the mothers (and partners) when they go for antenatal clinics.

* Sparing time in religious places ie Mosques, Churches etc where the expectant mothers are taught.

* Through the social media, since most people have socials this days. to post up diverse information on how to manage a newborn .

REACHING OUT TO STAKEHOLDERS #

Lastly, activists could also actively play a big role in improving maternal health care by holding the government, policy makers health practitioners. This can by tracking their developments and engage other activists or organizations that deal with human rights to question.

As activists we can search for sponsorships who are willing to invest on Newborn health. It is easier for activists to find funds compared to the common man. This is because they have better resources compared to the common man.

Improve this page #

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