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The Collaborating Centre has been networking with the following agencies and institutions :

Agency / Institution	Area
Government of India	Technical support, Training, Advocacy
World Health Organization	Advocacy IMCI, IMPAC, Research, Technical assistance
State governments of Gujarat, Orissa, West Bengal , Madhya Pradesh and Assam	Training , advocacy ,technical support
Indian Council of Medical Research	Research
Countries of the Region
Nepal	Training, institutional development
Maldives	Education,Training
Bhutan	Training
Bangladesh	Training
DPR Korea	Training
Indonesia	Kangaroo Mother Care
Myanmar	Technical support
UNICEF	Training, advocacy, technical support
Rotary International	Training, capacity building, institutional strengthening
Institutions
34 medical colleges 16 institutions in the country University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA University of Calgary Calgary, Canada University of Halifax Research, Newfoundland, Canada Centres for Disease Control	Training, research Database/research Training Training Training Technical Support
University of Illinois (WHO Collaborating Centre in Perinatal Health)	Research, training, exchange program
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA	Training, exchange program
Stanford University, USA	Training, education
University of Calgary Calgary, Canada	Training, exchange program
Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada	Research, training
NGOS
National Neonatology Forum	Advocacy, Training
SEARCH	Research
BASICS	Advocacy
Save the Children	Technical support
Laerdal Foundation	Training, research
Perinatal Section, AAP	Research, Training

1. Training of the WHO fellows and others from the Region

The Collaborating Centre is a coveted institution for training in neonatology and newborn nursing. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India recognized the collaborating centre as one of centers of Excellence in India (in the year 2000) for WHO fellowship training. Each year, fellows (Doctors & Nurses) from India and South East Asia countries come for training in neonatology & newborn nursing.

2. Collaboration with other countries in the Region

Nepal
Established a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and a Maternal Intensive care unit of 8 beds each at the Paropkar Maternity Hospital, Kathmandu through Government of India funds.

Co-ordinated a workshop on Emergency Obstetric Care in November 2000 for the staff of the Maternity Hospital, Kathmandu.

Bangladesh
Conducted workshops on Neonatal Resuscitation and Essential Newborn Care in Dhaka in the year 1998. These workshops were instrumental in initiating the NRP movement in that country.

Training of Trainers Workshops on Essential Newborn Nursing and Neonatal Ventilation were conducted in Dacca in the year 2003 - 2004 .

Myanmar
Dr. San San Myint of the Central Women’s Hospital Yangon initiated the neonatal resuscitation programme in Myanmar in consultation with the Collaborating Centre.

Maldives
Conducted workshops on Neonatal Resuscitation and Essential Newborn Care for pediatricians in Maldives. Provided support for capacity building for Neonatal Unit at Indira Gandhi Hospital , Male.

Indonesia
The collaborating centre faculty have conducted Neonatal resuscitation and Neonatal Ventilation training for Pediatricians from different Universities across Indonesia 2005.

3. Training and operationalization initiatives in states

Newborn Care Project in Orissa

• At the request of the Government of Orissa and the UNICEF, the Collaborating Centre has been engaged in a statewide newborn care training and operationalization programme since 1997.
• Initially 5 zonal workshops of 2-day each for doctors and nurses of district hospitals, sub-district hospitals, and primary health centres were conducted in 1997.
• In 1998, two 4-day workshops were conducted for the trainers. This led to the creation of a state level faculty of 30 members. The faculty then conducted 14 district level workshop covering all the pediatricians and obstetricians at district and sub-district hospitals in the state

Newborn Care Project in West Bengal

• The enthusiasm generated by the Orissa experiment led to a similar initiative in this adjoining state. The Government of West Bengal, National Neonatology Forum (West Bengal Chapter) and the UNICEF joined hands to launch the newborn care training and operationalization programme in West Bengal.
• The initiative in West Bengal is now being steered by the National Neonatology Forum (West Bengal Chapter) and the Government of the state with the help of UNICEF. Over 50 workshops have been conducted at district, sub-district and primary health centre levels. In this state, the training has been extended to physicians, nurses, auxiliary nursing midwives and the TBAs.

Newborn Care Initiative in Madhya Pradesh &Assam

• Impressed by the initiatives of Orissa and West Bengal, the state government and the local UNICEF requested the Collaborating Centre to launch the newborn care training and operationalization program in that state of Madhya Pradesh & Assam .

Child Health Program in Gujarat

• The collaborating centre is assisting the Governement of Gujarat in strengthening the implementation of child health strategy under the Reproductive and Child Health Program (Phase-II, 2005-10). Our contribution covers technical inputs encompass scaling up of UIP, IMNCI, equity-driven monitoring and evaluation, ANM training in MNCH, urban newborn and child health and engagement with panchayati raj institutions. As a focused initiative piloting of district and sub-district nurses in newborn care has been carried out in 2 districts. We are now launching trainers training of nurse tutors of all nursing colleges in the state in newborn nursing.

The ‘NALS on Wheels’ Project

• This was a unique project undertaken by the National Neonatology Forum (Orissa Chapter) with the assistance of the Collaborating Centre in Orissa. In this initiative, the training of the providers in newborn care is taken literally to their doorstep. The focus of this training is neonatal resuscitation and essential newborn care using the training material developed at the Collaborating Centre. A team of trainers moves from one village to another in a motor vehicle donated by the American Association of Physicians from America (AAPI). Part support for this initiative has come from UNICEF and the Government of Orissa.

4. Collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)

Meeting of Experts on Research Priorities in Newborn Health
The Collaborating Centre organized a national meeting of the experts on Research Priorities in Newborn Health in January 2000 in association with the ICMR. The participants included eminent researchers and academicians in newborn care from all over the country. A research agenda on newborn health was recommended at the meeting as a blue print for ICMR to follow. We are now working very closely with ICMR to implement the recommendations.

Multi-centre study on 'Home-based care of Newborn Infants'
As a follow up of the recommendations of the expert group referred to above, a multi-site study has been planned on ‘Home-based Care of Newborn Infants’ based on the work done by SEARCH in rural Maharashtra. The faculty of the Collaborating Centre is closely involved in implementation and monitoring of study at 5 –sites .

National Neonatal Perinatal Database (NNPD) Project
The ICMR has approved support to the NNPD network . A total of 16 institutions and 8 HRRCs (Human Reproduction Research Centres) will be networked to provide generic data on neonatal morbidity and mortality. The Collaborating Centre is the Nodal Centre for this initiative budgeted for 3 years 2001-04. Click here for NNPD report

5. Other National initiatives

A. Medical College Network on Training and Research in Neonatal Resuscitation.
The Collaborating Centre established a network of 32 Medical Colleges in the country to study impact of education and training on neonatal resuscitation practices in 1997-98. Two faculty members from each of these hospitals undertook a neonatal resuscitation certification course. Each institution was provided with the required resuscitation equipment. These trained faculty members in turn conducted NRP for their doctors and nurses responsible for the care of babies at birth. Each hospital collected asphyxia related morbidity and mortality statistics prior to and after introducing neonatal resuscitation programme. This project was sponsored by Laerdal Foundation, Norway.

B. Dissemination of expertise on Retinopathy of Prematurity (RoP) in collaboration with RP Centre
ROP is fast emerging as an epidemic in India. With WHO support and in association with the R.P. Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, the Collaborating Centre conducted 7 workshops in 1999 in different parts of the country to create awareness about this crippling entity and disseminate expertise to prevent and treat this disease.

C. Collaboration with National Neonatology Forum of India (Newborn Week 2000)
The Government of India is deeply concerned about stagnant infant mortality rates. Since the two thirds of the infant mortality is constituted by the neonatal mortality, the newborn health has emerged as the focus of child health strategies. In order to create awareness about the importance of newborn health, the Government decided to observe a Newborn Week from 15th to 21st November 2000. The week was inaugurated by the Hon’ble Prime Minister at his residence where the Collaborative Centre faculty was represented. The Centre brought out an advocacy document ‘Newborn Health : Key to Child Survival’ in English and Hindi under the aegis of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the National Neonatology Forum utilizing the WHO country funds.

6. International

A. Rotary-sponsored Indo-Canadian Exchange Program
This is a collaboration between our centre and the University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada. The Rotary has sponsored this exchange programme under which 4 nurses from the Foothills Hospital, Calgary, visited our centre for a period of 4 weeks to provide hands on training to nursing staff of our hospital. As a return visit 4 nurses from AIIMS visited their hospital for a period of two weeks each to gain practical insights into advanced neonatal care being practiced in developed countries. This programme resulted in creation of a Manual on Practical Procedures in Newborn Nursery for developing countries. On 29th November 2005, Rotary Club of Delhi Chanakyapuri RI Dist 3010 along with Rotary Calgary South District 5360 & Wild Rose Foundation, Calgary donated $ US 50,000 for purchase of neonatal beds for sick babies.

B. Collaboration with Perinatal Section – American Academy of Pediatrics(AAP)
In joint collaboration with AAP, a study in twelve institutions was initiated to study impact of education and training of neonatal resuscitation on asphyxia-related morbidity and mortality. Two faculty members from seven institutions were certified in neonatal resuscitation programme in December 1999 and five in May 2000. Prospective collection of asphyxia-related morbidity and mortality data was done.

C. Collaboration with WHO

1. Technical assistance to WHO-HQ’s
   • LBW feeding guidelines
   • Pocket book on hospital care for children
   • IMPAC modules
   • Management of sick newborns
     
     
2. Research programme Development
   • Neonatal IMCI
   • Verbal autopsy
   • Simplified regimens for treatment of sepsis
   • Neonatal Health Framework
   • Capacity building for introducing neonatal health interventions
     
     
3. Policy / Programme Advocacy
   • Global Newborn advocacy UN General assembly 2001-02 ,WHO consultation on Child Health 2002
   • Healthy partnership meeting Dacca 2002, Addis Ababa 2003