{"id":16520,"date":"2026-04-13T14:18:54","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T14:18:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.paolochiesifoundation.org\/?p=16520"},"modified":"2026-04-13T14:26:36","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T14:26:36","slug":"every-child-precious-life-5x1000","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.paolochiesifoundation.org\/en\/every-child-precious-life-5x1000\/","title":{"rendered":"Every Child Is a Precious Life: Protect it with Your 5×1000"},"content":{"rendered":"

In Burundi,\u00a0<\/span>the neonatal mortality rate still reaches 25 deaths per 1,000 live births<\/b><\/a>. A number that\u00a0weighs like\u00a0a destiny\u2014but one that must not be accepted as such.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For twenty years, the\u00a0<\/span>Paolo Chiesi Foundation\u00a0<\/span><\/b>has been committed to improving access to quality neonatal care in low\u2011resource countries. This year, the Foundation has chosen to\u00a0<\/span>allocate the funds that will be received through the 5×1000 tax designation<\/a>\u00a0to\u00a0a project capable of changing the future of thousands of children:\u00a0<\/span>the implementation of Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC)<\/span><\/b>\u00a0in the Health Centers of the\u00a0Bunyerera\u00a0health province, in the northern part of the country.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Why Burundi? Why now?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Burundi is a country where childbirth often occurs in challenging conditions: limited health infrastructure, lack of trained personnel, and scarce essential equipment.\u00a0<\/span>Health Centers<\/span><\/b>\u00a0are the primary point of access to care for most mothers and newborns, yet they still lack the skills and tools needed to\u00a0assist\u00a0them at birth and during the first months of life, when\u00a0<\/span>continuous support is essential<\/span><\/b>, including medical follow\u2011ups and vaccinations.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The project\u2014named \u201c<\/span>Umwana\u00a0wese\u00a0ni\u00a0ubuzima\u00a0bw\u2019agaciro:\u00a0kuvuka\u00a0mu\u00a0rukundo\u00a0no mu\u00a0mutekano<\/span><\/i>\u201d,\u00a0meaning \u201cEvery child is a precious\u00a0life:\u00a0born in love and safety\u201d\u2014is the natural continuation of phases 1 and 2, implemented by the\u00a0NGO\u00a0<\/span>Amahoro\u00a0pro Africa<\/a>\u00a0with the Foundation\u2019s support. After establishing the\u00a0<\/span>KMC Training Center<\/span><\/b>\u00a0at the Regional Hospital of\u00a0Ngozi, the time has come for the decisive step:\u00a0<\/span>strengthening the continuity of care between the hospital,\u00a0the\u00a0Health Centers, and the community<\/span><\/b>, so that every mother\u2011newborn pair receives essential, appropriate, and timely care from birth, and every premature newborn discharged from the hospital can be adequately followed close to\u00a0their\u00a0home.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Value of Kangaroo Mother Care<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Kangaroo Mother Care is one of the most effective and accessible strategies to improve\u00a0<\/span>survival rates of premature and low\u2011birth\u2011weight babies<\/span><\/b>. Originally developed as a simple, sustainable response to the limitations of health facilities in low\u2011resource settings, it combines clinical rigor with human connection, becoming a true philosophy of care.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

KMC is based on three inseparable elements:\u00a0<\/span>prolonged skin\u2011to\u2011skin contact<\/span><\/b>,\u00a0<\/span>exclusive breastfeeding<\/span><\/b>, and\u00a0<\/span>continuous clinical monitoring<\/span><\/b>. Together, these help prevent hypothermia and infections, reduce complications linked to prematurity, and foster a strong emotional bond between parents and\u00a0babies. For many families\u2014especially in fragile contexts like Burundi\u2014KMC is a\u00a0<\/span>lifesaving solution<\/span><\/b>\u00a0that can be applied even where resources are extremely limited.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A decisive intervention in fragile contexts<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

In many low-income countries, equipment such as incubators or technological devices is scarce, access to electricity is not guaranteed, and healthcare staff are often insufficient. In circumstances like these, KMC proves to be a practical and replicable solution, capable of providing effective care not only in\u00a0hospitals but\u00a0<\/span>also in the most remote communities<\/span><\/b>. Indeed, neonatal survival depends as much on hospitals as on the quality of essential care at birth and on follow-up carried out in peripheral facilities. For this reason, it is crucial to strengthen simple yet high-impact practices in Health\u00a0Centers, such as\u00a0<\/span>immediate skin-to-skin contact<\/span><\/b>\u00a0between mother and newborn, the promotion of breastfeeding, prevention of hypothermia, early identification of danger signs, and correct referral to the hospital when necessary.\u00a0<\/span>\u202f\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A family\u2011centered model of care<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Emotional and physical closeness becomes a therapeutic resource: it helps the newborn recover more quickly, reduces maternal stress, and strengthens parental skills, which are essential to ensure continuity of care after discharge. By selecting and involving 12 Health\u00a0Centers, the project aims to build a bridge between the hospital and the home, creating\u00a0<\/span>a network that includes partners, healthcare workers, and the wider community<\/span><\/b>, which is transformed into a place of support rather than\u00a0of\u00a0stigma. On\u00a0the\u00a0one hand, we will ensure that every baby born at the Health\u00a0Centers\u00a0receives essential, quality care and skin-to-skin contact at birth; on the other, we will guarantee that former premature infants,\u00a0after being\u00a0discharged from the hospital,\u00a0are adequately followed up through\u00a0<\/span>a structured system of counter-referral<\/span><\/b>, growth monitoring, breastfeeding support, and regular check-ups.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This model strengthens the\u00a0<\/span>social fabric<\/span><\/b>, overcomes cultural barriers, and restores dignity and autonomy to mothers, making every family an active protagonist in their child\u2019s\u00a0well-being.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A project that starts\u00a0with\u00a0the community and returns to the community<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

The project\u2014implemented by\u00a0<\/span>WeWorld<\/b><\/a>, with the support of the Paolo Chiesi Foundation and in coordination with the\u00a0<\/span>Programme\u202fNational de Sant\u00e9\u202fR\u00e9productive\u202f(PNSR)\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/b>of the Burundian Ministry of Health\u2014will involve\u00a0<\/span>12 Health Centers<\/span><\/b>\u00a0and\u00a0the\u00a0Community Health Agents\u00a0from\u00a0their respective villages, through the implementation of the following activities:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n