Baby Ndakeuh: Were It Not For Incubator…

The socio-political crisis in the North West and South Regions since 2016 has left in its wake a number of victims. Especially with frequent lesson disruptions – and in most cases – the complete shutdown of educational facilities. As a result, many young girls have become pregnant out of wedlock. With no guarantee of proper upkeep of their babies by the authors of the pregnancies.

Ndakeuh Vanessa, 16, a former Form Three student of Government Secondary School, Bamali, in Ngoketunjia Division of the North West Region. Vanessa took in and safely delivered a baby boy on October 11, 2021 in Ndop. But there was a hitch. The baby came premature – at only 6 months, 3 days of pregnancy. Weighing just 1.1kg, Vanessa’s baby faced another major challenge. Being born with low birth weight. Medically speaking, a baby is of low birth weight if it weighs less than 2.5 kg at birth. A situation that exposes the baby to disease, and possible death.

Not having the required facilities, Baby Ndakeuh (he is still to be named) was referred to the Bamenda Regional Hospital. Fortunately for the Ndakeuhs, the hospital recently received two incubators, three oxygen concentrators and kangaroo mother care chairs from the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF. Under the Pandemic Emergency Financing, PEF project funded by the World Bank. Implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health, the project seeks to ensure the continuity of healthcare and services in the North West and South West Regions – in the face of the Coronavirus pandemic and socio-political crisis.