Nine medical workers from the Islamic Republic of Pakistan are attending a training course on Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) at the Da Nang Maternity and Paediatrics Hospital until 2 June.

The 11-day course has been jointly organised by the hospital and the Vietnamese Ministry of Health (VMH).  Lessons will be delivered by experts from the Department of Children - Mother Health within the VMH, along with the most experienced doctors from the hospital.

KMC, also known as ‘first hug’ and ‘skin-to-skin’, is the practice of placing the naked newborn chest down on the mother’s bare chest in order to keep the infant warm and promote initiation of the first breastfeeding.  It is an effective, safe, low-cost, and easy-to-use alternative which can help to reduce the risk of morbidity and mortality in infants, especially those with a low birthweight.