The importance of timely neonatal resuscitation and continuous skill-based training in reducing newborn deaths was discussed at a programme to mark the Neonatal Resuscitation Programme (NRP) Day at AIIMS-Mangalagiri on Sunday (May 10, 2026).

As part of the initiative led by the National Neonatology Forum (NNF) to strengthen newborn resuscitation skills and improve neonatal survival across the country, the institute conducted basic newborn resuscitation training sessions for doctors and nursing officers.

According to a release from the institute, the country continues to carry a high burden of neonatal mortality, with nearly 40% of neonatal deaths occurring within the first 24 hours of birth. Birth asphyxia — inadequate oxygen supply to the baby during birth — contributes to nearly 15-20% of these deaths.

Experts said many such deaths were preventable through quality antenatal care, intrapartum monitoring as per World Health Organization (WHO) protocols, and the presence of at least one trained healthcare provider skilled in bag-and-mask ventilation during every delivery.

AIIMS-Mangalagiri Director Ahanthem Santa Singh, Dean (Academics) Desu Ramamohan, neonatologist Mandula Phani Priya, and other professors from the Department of Paediatrics, along with obstetricians, paediatricians and nursing officers, took part in the programme.