Background: High neonatal mortality rate (NMR) in low- and middle-income countries
(LMIC) might not be resolved until rural healthcare facilities are empowered with
sustainable frugal technologies and procedures. Needed technologies may not rely on
cutting-edge systems of the high-income countries (HIC), which require much funding and
well-established public infrastructure to thrive. Rather, tailored non-conventional designs
Study design: A multistage strategy was designed to identify and resolve the technology
against neonatal interventions within the primary healthcare settings in Nigeria.
Methods:
over 25 years period to resolve the various factors militating against neonatal survival
in Nigeria. Unconventional ideas relying on solar powered systems and easily available
local materials were developed, trialed, and commissioned at various times across 31
tertiary hospitals spanning all regions of Nigeria. Stand-alone studies or solutions-creation,
amidst discouraging situations, were individually completed, peer-reviewed, and journalempowerment strategy – the Neonatal Rescue Scheme – to generate integrated proof of
concept.
Finding: The number of early neonatal deaths and overall NMR drastically reduced at
participating centers.
Conclusions: This Rescue-Scheme strategy could revolutionize neonatal healthcare in lowincome countries and drastically reduce Nigeria’s corporate NMR if properly adopted.
Clinical evidence: Recent studies of the Scheme and various combinations of its neonatal
overall NMR fell from 90/’00 to 4/’00 as published by Amina-center Minna Nigeria 2023;
early mortality fell from 81% to 0% - University of Abuja Teaching Hospital Nigeria 2017,
etc.