Advancing Neonatal Care in Africa
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Neonatal mortality accounts for nearly half of under-5 mortality worldwide, with Sub-Saharan Africa bearing the highest burden. Prematurity and its complications stand as the primary cause of death during the first month of life. Despite comprising only 3% of annual mortality globally, neonatal deaths in many African nations exceed 10%, remaining the leading cause of death regardless of age or gender. In a continent with over 1.3 billion people, Africa faces significant disparities in access to specialized neonatal care.
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Beginnings
In response to this critical need, the Tiny Feet, Big Steps (TFBS) Neonatology Conference was inaugurated in 2021. It emerged to meet the escalating demand for evidence-based neonatology training, focusing on low-cost, low-tech interventions to enhance the survival and neurodevelopmental outcomes of premature and critically ill newborns in East Africa. Rapid Growth Rooted in the success story of achieving a NICU survival rate exceeding 92%, the TFBS Neonatology Conference has rapidly evolved into one of the largest clinical neonatology gatherings in Africa. This growth is fueled by collaboration with both local and international stakeholders, cementing its position as a beacon of advancement in neonatal care. |
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ICHA's experience in advancing neonatology has been drawn from the work of Dr Swanson and the NICU team at the Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre (ALMC), where evidence-based, innovative models and protocols of neonatal care appropriate for limited income settings have been practiced and improved.
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Practical Training
At the "Tiny Feet, Big Steps" Neonatology Conference, every lecture and workshop is tailored to address the unique challenges encountered within African healthcare settings. Through interactive, hands-on skills workshops, attendees gain practical insights and solutions that can be immediately applied in their clinical practice. With over 90 lectures and advanced skills workshops offered at TFBS 2024, participants received comprehensive education from a diverse range of subspecialties, including neonatology, pediatrics, pediatric cardiology, pediatric infectious diseases, pediatric neurosurgery, neurodevelopment, nutrition, physiotherapy, pediatric surgery, and intensive care nursing. |
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Moreover, the conference banquet served as a platform for NICU teams to exchange innovations and improvements implemented from previous TFBS conferences and hospitals' quality improvement initiatives. This real-world application underscores the practical impact of the knowledge gained through these annual neonatology conferences.
Conference Participants by Year
Since 2021, TFBS has trained 829 African doctors and nurses from 203 hospitals in 20 sub-Saharan African countries. ICHA doctors treat hundreds of critically ill NICU babies each year.
We offer a diverse array of over 90 unique lectures and advanced skills workshops facilitated by 50 esteemed instructors hailing from academic institutions spanning 13 countries.
We offer a diverse array of over 90 unique lectures and advanced skills workshops facilitated by 50 esteemed instructors hailing from academic institutions spanning 13 countries.
Equipping AttendeesThe Every Breath Counts Handbook
To complement the conference's educational endeavors, attendees are provided with the locally published handbook titled "Every Breath Counts, Manual of Neonatal Care & Drug Doses 2nd Edition." Authored by Dr. Swanson and his team, this handbook furnishes foundational protocols to conference participants, further enriching their learning experience. |
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Our Work
Advancing Child Healthcare in Africa
1. Delivering low-cost, high impact neonatology services of premature and hospitalized newborns in our partner NICUs:
2. Providing specialty outpatient and inpatient pediatric care through the:
3. Mentoring doctors and nurses in pediatrics
4. Training NICU physicians & nurses through Tiny Feet Big Steps (TFBS) Neonatology Conferences
1. Delivering low-cost, high impact neonatology services of premature and hospitalized newborns in our partner NICUs:
- Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre (ALMC) NICU.
- Kivulini Hospital / Maternity Africa NICU (providing ICHA physicians).
- Potential new hospital relationships ICHA is fostering.
2. Providing specialty outpatient and inpatient pediatric care through the:
- Arusha Pediatric & Maternity Centre (APMC) - a first ever dedicated specialty centre for outpatient care of infants, children, adolescents, and pregnant women.
- Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre (ALMC) pediatric ward and clinics.
3. Mentoring doctors and nurses in pediatrics
- 7 Tanzanian doctors and 20 NICU nurses are currently supported by ICHA.
- 4 doctors in international residency programs (Kenya, South Africa, USA) that ICHA has helped reach this stage of training.
- Teaching at Pediatric Association of Tanzania and other venues.
4. Training NICU physicians & nurses through Tiny Feet Big Steps (TFBS) Neonatology Conferences
- Uniquely co-training physicians and nurses, with a strong emphasis on innovation, clinical proficiency, and actionable healthcare strategies.
- Leading the largest African Neonatology Conference in Arusha, Tanzania.
- Expanded to Ethiopia, Dec. 2025.
- Exploring expansion opportunities at the request of other countries.
- Resourcing medical staff with our Every Breath Counts Manual of Neonatal Care & Drug Doses, 3rd Ed: a 440-page neonatal care handbook offering evidence-based protocols, drug dosing, and NICU procedures for low-resource settings. It’s been distributed to nearly 250 hospitals across 25 African countries, serving as a key training tool to improve newborn survival.
Join our newsletterWe’ll keep you up to date on how ICHA and the Tiny Feet Big Steps Neonatology Conferences are transforming child healthcare across Africa—one baby, one caregiver, one breakthrough at a time.
From grassroots stories of resilience to the growth of the Arusha Pediatric & Maternity Centre, you’ll receive updates that keep you informed, inspired, and involved. |
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