A Post-Pandemic Case Study and Situation Analysis of Helping Babies Breathe Programs in Vietnam

Abstract

Abstract OBJECTIVE To assess the current state of healthcare workers' skills following an extended hiatus in Helping Babies Breathe (HBB) training in Vietnam. STUDY DESIGN A two-phased study collected demographic and epidemiologic information, followed by semi-structured interviews with stakeholders to analyse the impact of the pandemic on neonatal resuscitation education and what is needed to resume and upscale training. RESULTS Vietnam's neonatal mortality rate has decreased, but socioeconomic differences and the availability of skilled birth attendants varies by region. The situation analysis highlighted the need for resources to support neonatal resuscitation training, difficulty in skill maintenance, and the impact of the pandemic on the neonatal workforce. CONCLUSION In low-resource countries, the global pandemic resulted in shortages of medical supplies, decreased access to care, and diminished neonatal resuscitation skills. These settings require regular neonatal resuscitation training, raising issues regarding reversal of HBB training gains, lack of skill reinforcement, and unsafe practices.