Empowering Health and Care for Preterm Infants and Newborns in Africa
African Foundation for Premature Babies & Neonatal Care (AFPNC) is the first pan-African organization and network to represent the interest of preterm and newborn infants and their families in Africa. The Foundation brings together disciplines and scientists with the common goal of improving long-term health of preterm and newborn children.
Through our activities, we seek to reduce preterm birth rates; to reduce the enormous health and social inequalities and impact of premature birth on children and their families by ensuring the best possible treatment, care, and support and to improve the situation of mothers and the long-term health of preterm infants and newborns with illnesses. Therefore, we are dedicated to championing sustainable initiatives that tackles the challenges of preterm babies and their families in Africa across the full spectrum of care, promoting and protecting the right to the best start in life: Preconception & Maternal Care, Treatment & Care and Follow up and Continuing Care.
The health of mothers and newborns is closely linked, making the term “maternal-newborn health” widely acknowledged. Every woman and couple has the right to comprehensive information about factors that affect their health and that of their baby, along with access to quality care before conception and during pregnancy. Our aim is to ensure that reliable information is accessible and that mothers receive focused, effective, and high-quality maternal care.
Healthy children represent our future. During the 9th Council of Europe, Health Ministers affirmed that every child has the right to equitable access to appropriate, child-centered, and high-quality care. It is especially crucial that preterm and newborn infants receive excellent, developmentally supportive treatment and care. By establishing best practice standards, we aim to enhance treatment and care for all children and their families, transcending borders.