UK (Edinburgh Napier University) Edinburgh Napier Partnership with Newborns Vietnam to Reduce New-born Mortality Lands Knowledge Exchange Award
The project won at the 2022 PraxisAuril Knowledge Exchange Awards ceremony.
An Edinburgh Napier University knowledge exchange project to help reduce new-born mortality in Vietnam through improved neonatal care and education has won a leading award.
The partnership with the charity Newborns Vietnam has been recognised at the PraxisAuril Knowledge Exchange Awards, which were presented during a ceremony in Manchester last night.
The project has been running since 2018 and involves sharing expert knowledge and research with healthcare workers in the region. It has since brought about a 16-week neonatal training programme to upskill nurses at a hospital in Hanoi, providing staff with crucial theoretical and evidence-based practice.
Reacting to the win, Maggie Reid, Business Development and Relationship Manager, who supported the coordination of the knowledge exchange activities, said: “We are delighted to have received this award in recognition of the positive impact this knowledge exchange project has made in taking research and knowledge from Edinburgh Napier to make a significant difference not only in Scotland, but around the world.
“Since launching the partnership and education programme with Newborns Vietnam, we have witnessed a reduction in infection rates, an improvement in infection control practices, and most importantly, a 42.2% reduction in infant mortality at the VNC hospital and it continues to reduce as we teach.
“To date, over 70 nurses have taken part in the programme, and are finding their voice and have become excellent advocates for the babies in their care. They say this course has given them not only knowledge and deeper understanding, but also the confidence to speak up in the best interest of the babies and their families.
“In a very short time, these nurses have flourished through education and are making a real difference and have ensured there are systematic changes in clinical practice to the benefit of the baby and mother. These shared efforts for positive change have also received recognition from the Ministry of Health in Vietnam.
“This collaboration and the projects that stem from it, really highlight the power of partnerships and the importance of the role of the knowledge exchange professional in allowing this partnership to realise its objectives. The positive societal impact of knowledge exchange cannot be underplayed.”
The PraxisAuril KE Awards celebrate the people who initiate and deliver impact from research through a diverse range activities.
They are supported by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and work with Government Office for Technology Transfer (GOTT), the TenU, the National Centre for Universities and Business (NCUB) and SETsquared to increase support and publicity for the important and impactful achievements of the KE profession.