Malawi is set to receive a substantial $65 million share of a $90 million donation allocated to the Newborn Essential Solutions and Technologies (NEST360) Program for the implementation of its second phase.
This international alliance, operating under the Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS) in Malawi, collaborates with hospitals, governments, and development partners to address and diminish newborn deaths in sub-Saharan Africa.
The announcement of the $65 million funding was made on Tuesday, January 23, 2024, by contributors including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, The ELMA Foundation, and individual contributions. This funding approval marks the launch of NEST360’s ambitious mission to combat newborn mortality in sub-Saharan Africa.
The NEST360 Program has demonstrated success over the past five years by leveraging appropriate devices, trained clinical and technical staff, and data capture for every newborn in hospitals. NEST360 aims to save every newborn globally by deploying well-trained personnel and suitable equipment, gathering momentum to effectively address the challenge.
Dr. Queen Dube, Newborn Health Program Lead of the Department for Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health & Aging at WHO, emphasized, “What makes NEST360 unique is that they co-design a package of care with African governments to implement and improve newborn survival in their front-line hospitals.”
Statistics underscore that African countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, exhibit significantly higher rates of newborn mortality, nearly ten times greater than babies born in Europe or the U.S. With adequate medical care, the survival rate of 75% of the estimated 1.1 million African newborns at risk of death annually could be ensured.
NEST360’s mission aligns with the United Nations’ 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), specifically targeting SDG 3.2, aiming to limit newborn deaths to no more than 12 per 1000 live births by 2030. The international alliance comprises clinical, biomedical, and public health experts from 22 institutions and organizations, emphasizing a systems-change approach to enhance small and sick newborn care.
The second phase of the initiative builds upon the progress achieved in Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, and Nigeria during the initial phase from 2019 to 2023. With a fundraising goal of $90 million, the next phase aims to impact five key countries contributing to nearly 50% of newborn deaths in Africa. The alliance’s reach will extend to 144 implementing hospitals, including the addition of Ethiopia to the network.
NEST360 concentrates on three pivotal pillars: delivering innovation through effective medical technologies, establishing an educational ecosystem to train healthcare providers, and implementing evidence-based care with data-driven approaches. The program has already achieved coverage across all districts in Malawi and plans to expand to Tanzania, Nigeria, Kenya, and Ethiopia in Phase 2.
