In cooperation with the Ministry of Health, UNICEF and partners are improving the care of premature babies
UNICEF handed over a new incubator for premature babies to the Institute of Neonatology in Belgrade. At the end of last year, the Institute received a chair for skin-to-skin contact for parents and babies. This equipment was provided as part of the campaign “So small to fit in the heart” whose goal is to equip and modernize neonatal intensive care units throughout Serbia.
“The support we receive from UNICEF and its partners is enormous. This help is reflected both in the acquisition of additional equipment and in the raising of professional capacities and the implementation of the highest European standards in the treatment and care of premature babies, including support in the implementation of national guidelines that provide for the creation of conditions for close contact between parents and babies from the first day. The health system of Serbia is improving year by year, thanks primarily to continuous and systematic investment, both in equipment and in personnel. I in addition, any additional help and initiative like this is welcome. We are immensely grateful to BATES d.o.o., which donated funds for our incubator, and to UNICEF for its many years of support,” said prim. Dr. Sci. med, Radmila Mileusnić-Milenović, acting director of the Institute of Neonatology in Belgrade.
The Institute of Neonatology in Belgrade treats between 750 and 800 babies annually, which is about a quarter of all premature babies in Serbia. Every other baby born weighing less than 1,500 grams is treated at the Institute. The average stay of these babies is about 40 days, depending on complications and degree of development.
“In the last few years, UNICEF has invested almost a million dollars in the improvement of neonatal care in Serbia. In cooperation with the Ministry of Health and with the support of numerous partners, we have provided modern medical equipment, trained hundreds of experts and helped create national clinical guidelines that improve the quality of care for every baby. But UNICEF does more than that. We also support care that keeps the family together — because the healing of a baby does not start only in the incubator, but in the arms of its parents,” said Deyana Kostadinova, Director of UNICEF in Serbia.
In partnership with UNICEF, the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Serbia has been investing for years in strengthening neonatal care through the acquisition of modern equipment, the introduction of international standards and continuous education of experts. Thanks to these efforts, infant mortality rates in Serbia have been steadily decreasing – from 4.63 per 1,000 live births in 2010 to 3.06 in 2023. However, despite overall improvements, certain regional differences remain a challenge. In regions that gravitate towards Kragujevac and Niš, infant mortality is up to twice as high compared to the rates in Belgrade and Vojvodina. These differences point to the need for continued and targeted investment, because premature babies are born every day – and each of them deserves an equal chance to live and develop.
“UNICEF and the Ministry of Health join forces to ensure that every child, regardless of where and under what conditions they were born, has access to the highest standards of neonatal intensive care – because modern standards, professional care and a warm, supportive environment must not be a privilege, but the right of every newborn. UNICEF is our important partner who has been helping us to improve the health of mothers and children for years and to incorporate the most modern standards into the daily practice of the health system in Serbia. The health and development of babies and children are our priority and we are proud to have such a partner”, said prof. Dr. Ivana Stašević Karličić, State Secretary in the Ministry of Health.
By investing in the acquisition of state-of-the-art equipment, improving the knowledge and skills of experts, and creating the opportunity for parents to be with their baby from its arrival in the world, the survival and development of the most sensitive babies is enabled.
“We are happy that our help has reached the right hands and that in this way we are helping the most sensitive babies to survive and overcome the first challenges of life, so that they can reach their home and family as soon as possible. Since 2021, the company BATES d.o.o. has been supporting various programs implemented by UNICEF in Serbia, because we believe in their mission and have confidence in their expertise. We are proud of the cooperation and joint support that we have provided to our health system and remain committed to children and young people in our country, because they are our future”, believes Ivana Keres on behalf of the company BATES d.o.o.
Since December 2024, thanks to donations from companies and citizens, UNICEF has collected about 16 million dinars, which were invested in the purchase of equipment, including three incubators – for the Institute of Neonatology in Belgrade, GAK Narodni Front and the neonatal unit at the University Hospital Nis. A chair for skin-to-skin contact is provided with each incubator.
UNICEF calls on companies and citizens to, in accordance with their capabilities, support the further equipping of neonatal units for the most vulnerable babies in Serbia.
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