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Skin-to-skin care gives Solomon Islands newborns a strong, healthy start through lifesaving EENC and KMC practices.
Every child deserves the best possible start, and for newborns in the Solomon Islands, that journey now begins with a warm, lifesaving embrace.
In the remote communities of Seghe and Morovo Lagoon in Western Province, hope is quietly being delivered—one baby at a time. Nurses and midwives recently completed intensive coaching in Early Essential Newborn Care (EENC) and Kandora (Kangaroo) Mother Care (KMC), through the dedicated efforts of the Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS), the World Health Organization (WHO), and expert trainers from the National Referral Hospital (NRH).
EENC represents something simple yet powerful: the first skin-to-skin contact between mother and baby. Often called “the first embrace”, this moment is both life-sustaining and an act of love. EENC helps prevent infections, reduces the risk of newborn deaths, keeps the baby warm, and strengthens the crucial bond between mother and baby. It’s a quiet miracle grounded in science, and it begins the moment life does.
KMC perfectly supports EENC in that KMC focuses on the care of preterm and low birthweight infants, who have a high risk of mortality and morbidity. Through KMC coaching, health workers can teach mothers how to look after preterm and small babies through extended skin-to-skin contact, exclusive breastfeeding, and monitoring for signs of illness.
During the weeklong coaching in Seghe, the miracle of EENC came to life when 20-year-old Grace Simbo went into labour with her first child. Thanks to the expertise and compassion shown by Registered Nurse Clizzer Ben and Midwife Korina Lapo, Grace gave birth to a healthy baby boy, weighing 2.4 kg. Moments later, mother and baby were wrapped in their first embrace—skin-to-skin, uninterrupted, alive with connection and care.
A few days later, in Gizo Hospital, another mother’s story unfolded. Shirlyanna Joab, a secondary school teacher from Kolombangara, was preparing to meet her second child. But complications led to a necessary caesarean section. Despite the challenges, the medical team, together with WHO consultant Dr Ella Frances Tracey, ensured Shirlyanna and her newborn son were still given that crucial moment of connection. Just minutes after birth, the baby—safe and healthy—was laid gently and immediately on his mother’s skin and chest, continuing the EENC promise that no child should miss out on love, care, and warmth at birth.
Even in surgical deliveries, EENC is possible where there are no significant complications with mother or baby necessitating urgent care. This makes EENC not just a technique, but a mindset—one that puts every newborn at the center of care, no matter the circumstances.
Thanks to the support and generosity of the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), the MHMS, WHO, and NRH are bringing this gift of life to more communities across Western Province, Guadalcanal, Malaita, and Central Islands Province. Together, they are ensuring that every Solomon Islander pikinini, regardless of where they are born, can thrive from their very first breath.
Because every baby deserves the best start, and that start begins in the arms of love.
SOURCE: WHO PRESS RELEASE
