Neonatal Syringe Pumps in Zambia: a Multisite Cross-Sectional Case Study

Abstract Background: The global neonatal mortality rate is due to miss the third Sustainable Development Goal of 12 deaths per 100 live births by 2030. However, medical devices can play a crucial role in improving the quality of care given to neonates, helping to reduce the rate further. Methods: This study focuses on determining the availability of syringe pumps to newborns in Zambia and whether this correlates to reduced neonatal mortality rates. Inventories of syringe pumps on 11 neonatal intensive care units (NICU), paediatric intensive care units (PICU), and paediatric high dependency units (PHDU) were conducted at 7 different hospitals. Neonatal mortality data for the second quarter of 2023, when the study was conducted, was requested from the hospitals. Results: At least 1 syringe pump was available at 5 of the hospitals, however, syringe pumps were only available in 3 of the 7 NICUs. Only 3 of the 18 syringe pumps were found in the Copperbelt region, despite 5 of the hospitals being in this region. The largest syringe pump-to-bed ratio was 0.50 on the Livingstone University Teaching Hospital PHDU, while there were no syringe pumps in 6 of the wards. The Pearson correlation, between syringe pump-to-bed ratios and the mortality rates, was 0.16 while the Spearman was 0.38. A larger, multi-country study is needed to confirm these results. Conclusions: In Zambia, there is a disproportionate availability of syringe pumps, for neonatal and paediatric care, in the central Lusaka and Southern regions compared to the Copperbelt region in the north.