The effect of umbilical cord cleansing with chlorhexidine gel on neonatal mortality among the community births in South Sudan: a quasi-experimental study.

INTRODUCTION: the use of chlorhexidine antiseptic gel for umbilical cord care in unhygienic settings has been shown to reduce infection and neonatal mortality in Asia, leading to the revision of WHO guidelines. However, few studies exist in the African context and none have been undertaken in conflict-affected settings. We aimed to assess the effectiveness of applying chlorhexidine gel to the umbilical cord stump on cord sepsis and neonatal mortality rates in the Republic of South Sudan. METHODS: our pre/post quasi-experimental study recruited 3,143 pregnant women from six rural communities in Jubek County, South Sudan: 1,825 women in the treatment group and 1,318 women in the control group. Neonates in the treatment group had chlorhexidine applied to the umbilical cord stump within 24 hours of birth and daily for seven days. No chlorhexidine gel was applied in the control group, instead they were encouraged to practice dry cord care. Data was collected at enrolment and at each antenatal visit at 3, 7, 14 and 28 days. Our primary outcomes of interest were incidence of neonatal umbilical cord sepsis and neonatal mortality, which were analyzed on an intention-to-treat basis. The study is registered with Pan African Clinical Trial Registry, Number PACTR201808694484456. RESULTS: the neonatal cord infection rate among the treatment group was 17.0%, compared to 38.9% in the control group (P<0.05), which was statistically significant. Neonatal mortality was least in the intervention (1.3%) and highest in the control (13.3%) group, which was also statistically significant. CONCLUSION: our evidence showed that chlorhexidine gel application contributed to the reduction of cord sepsis and neonatal mortality in conflict-affected South Sudan where the majority of births happen at home in unsanitary conditions. Chlorhexidine gel should be added to the essential medicines list in South Sudan and a costed plan for scale-up of chlorhexidine gel application should be developed by the Ministry of Health.

Knowledge, skills and competency retention among health workers one year after completing helping babies breathe training in South Sudan

Introduction: this study aimed to evaluate the long-term retention of knowledge, skills, and competency of health workers who completed a Helping Babies Breathe (HBB) training program and its effect on newborn mortality. Methods: a quasi-experimental pre- and post-intervention study was conducted. Participants were health workers selected based on their previous training on HBB protocols. Participants were assessed for knowledge, skills, and competency in March 2017 (immediately before and after training), June 2017 (three months after training), and September 2018 (one year after training). Assessments were conducted using HBB questionnaires, checklists and practical skill drills. Mean scores were obtained and ANOVA, chi-squared test, and Pearson's test were used for pre intervention, post intervention, and one-year-after comparisons. The effect of training on the management of newborn asphyxia was assessed based on a review of the delivery registry at a maternity and children's ward. The scores were group into percentages and averages means and were computed using chi-squared tests.Results: despite improvements in knowledge, skills, and competency three months after training, participants showed a marked decline one year after training. Knowledge increased from 42.5% pretest to 97% posttest but decreased to 84.5% three months' post training and further decreased to 69.4% one year post training. Skills increased from 26.1% pretest to 94.4% posttest, remained at 94.4% at three months, and decreased to 77.0% at one year. Simple resuscitation scores increased from 26.9% to 88.8% pre- and posttest, remained roughly at three months and decreased to 76.4% at one year. For complex resuscitation, scores decreased from 90.9% posttest to 76.9% at one year. The assessments at one year indicated a need for support and practice, especially with bag-mask ventilation.Conclusion: the immediate evaluation of health workers after HBB training showed significant increases in knowledge, skills and competency in neonatal resuscitation. However, this declined after one year. The training also resulted in decreased neonatal mortality