More details about this project

Blue lights to treat jaundice

Your donations to this project will fund two phototherapy lamps to a Congolese hospital to treat sick babies more quickly and in line with international guidelines.

In Kinshasa, healthcare workers sometimes have to treat newborns by placing them in the sun! Neonatal jaundice is indeed one of the main medical emergencies faced by the neonatal unit at Kimbanguiste Hospital, which your donations helped to partially equip in 2023.

Yet treatment for jaundice does exist: a phototherapy lamp emits blue light that is absorbed by the skin, thereby reducing bilirubin levels. 

At present, the medical unit does not have enough of these lamps: it is operating well beyond its capacity. Sometimes, several newborns even have to be placed in the same cot, with all the infection risks that this entails.

Some symptoms of jaundice: 

• ➡︎ yellowish discolouration that has become more pronounced or has spread to arms and legs

• ➡︎ refusal to breastfeed or take a bottle

• ➡︎ rapid weight loss

Did you know? If jaundice is not treated properly, it can lead to serious neurological complications, damage to the baby’s brain, or even death.

This project involves the purchase of two phototherapy lamps for a direct, immediate and tangible impact on the quality of care provided to babies.

Total budget: €3,400