What we do

Simple interventions will save lives

The founders of NEO FOR NAMIBIA - Helping Babies Survive, Prof. Thomas M. Berger, a Swiss pediatrician, neonatologist and pediatric intensivist and his wife Sabine Berger, a pediatric registered nurse, have visited several sub-Saharan African countries (Ivory Coast, the Gambia, Namibia) in the past years to assess neonatal and pediatric care at various hospitals in these countries.

During these visits, they observed recurrent themes: poor infrastructure related to both high acquisition costs and lack of proper maintenance, unreliable supply chains for spare parts and consumables, and shortage of qualified health care professionals.

They are convinced that simple interventions will have a huge impact; any delay will lead to additional, potentially preventable deaths. The time to act is now!

Official support of the project 

The activities of NEO FOR NAMIBIA - Helping Babies Survive are officially approved by the Ministry of Health and Social Services and supported personally by the Honorable Minister of Health, Dr. Bernard Haufiku.

B. Haufiku - Citation.jpg

I highly appreciate the efforts of NEO FOR NAMIBIA - Helping Babies Survive. I am convinced that the proposed interventions will play an important role in reducing neonatal deaths in the Kavango region of Namibia. Potentially, other regions of this country could benefit from this experience. I can guarantee that the Ministry of Health and Social Services of Namibia will support Prof. Berger and his team.

Dr. Bernard Haufiku, Health Minister of Namibia

Main activities

NEO FOR NAMIBIA focuses on the following aspects of the care of newborn infants:

  • Provide essential equipment to improve neonatal care (including warming beds, consumables appropriate for the use in newborn infants, monitors, devices for respiratory support)
  • Regular teaching of both physician and nursing staff in basic neonatal care, such as thermoregulation, Kangaroo care, neonatal resuscitation, appropriate use of antibiotics, fluid and nutrition management, respiratory care
  • Develop standard operating procedures (SOPs) together with the local health care professionals
  • Support of local champions (physicians and nurses who will train and supervise their peers)