Physicians at Dhulikhel Hospital in Nepal receive simulation training in newborn resuscitation.
The Arnhold Institute for Global Health at Mount Sinai has announced that the Laerdal Foundation has awarded $49,800 to support the launch of INSPIRE-Nepal. This initiative, which stands for Increasing Neonatal Survival Program Incorporating Reinforced Education and Distance-learning, will enhance neonatal resuscitation training for health care providers in Nepal, with a focus on rural and remote areas.
With the support of the Laerdal Foundation, the INSPIRE-Nepal initiative represents a vital step toward reducing neonatal deaths and improving outcomes in Nepal.
A Global Health Challenge
Neonatal mortality rates (newborn deaths) remain alarmingly high in Nepal, especially in remote regions. The Helping Babies Breathe program, an evidence-based training that teaches skills in resuscitating newborns who don’t breathe on their own after birth, has proven to decrease neonatal deaths globally. However, a critical challenge remains: Health care providers’ skills in neonatal resuscitation begin to decline within seven months after their initial training. This skills loss poses a significant barrier to sustaining improvements in neonatal outcomes, particularly in areas with limited access to continuing education.
Dhulikhel Hospital in Nepal and its 18 outreach centers handle more than 3,500 deliveries every year. However, there is no regular training program for neonatal resuscitation. This gap leaves providers without the support they need to retain their life-saving skills.
A Collaborative Solution
Our INSPIRE-Nepal project seeks to address this gap by combining in-person training, system strengthening, and distance-learning to create a sustainable solution that will continually reinforce neonatal resuscitation skills. Our project has three goals:
- Enhance Provider Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes: INSPIRE-Nepal will provide health care workers with neonatal resuscitation training, systemize post-resuscitation screening and referrals, and assess facility readiness at Dhulikhel Hospital and its outreach centers.
- Provide Virtual Training to Sustain Learning Through Project ECHO: Using the Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes model (Project ECHO), a telementoring and education program, health care providers will receive monthly, case-based sessions to reinforce their neonatal resuscitation skills. This approach will evaluate the retention of provider knowledge, skills, and attitudes 12 months post-training.
- Reduce Neonatal Mortality and Stillbirth Rates: By combining education with ongoing support, we aim to reduce stillbirths and the rates of newborn deaths on the first day of life, creating a model that can be used in other low-resource settings.
Why It Matters
Remote areas often face both high neonatal death rates and limited access to training and resources. We offer a practical solution by providing continuous training through Project ECHO to maintain skills and improve neonatal care. Our project offers a scalable and sustainable solution to mitigate loss of skills, ensuring providers are equipped to deliver high-quality neonatal care when it matters most. With the support of the Laerdal Foundation, we can transform care for the most vulnerable newborns.
Led by Rose House, MD, the INSPIRE-Nepal team includes John Kulesa, MD, Neha Limaye, MD, Diana Lee, MD, and Katherine Anderson, MD, from Mount Sinai; and Srijana Dongol, MD, and Anamika Mahato, MD, from Dhulikhel Hospital.
Established in 2022, AMPATH Nepal is a global health partnership led by Mount Sinai, Dhulikhel Hospital, and Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences in Nepal.
Rose House, MD, MS
AMPATH Nepal Partnership Director
Associate Professor, Arnhold Institute for Global Health
Department of Global Health and Health System Design
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai