Program Spotlight: Transforming Maternal and Neonatal Care in North Macedonia
North Macedonia’s health system has seen significant improvements over the past decade, but still fails to meet global standards due to outdated and insufficient equipment and supplies, a lack of affordable and available medicines, and health workers shortage. Since 2016, Project HOPE’s Perinatal Health Care (PeriMac) program, funded by Project HOPE e.V Germany, seeks to improve health services and reduce perinatal mortality and morbidity in North Macedonia by supplying hospitals and clinics with the latest medical equipment.
About a third of all neonatal deaths around the globe occur within the first 24 hours, and nearly 75% occur within the first week of life. Most of these deaths are preventable with access to high-quality interventions. Morality is shown to significantly decrease, for instance, when deliveries take place in hospitals with adequate equipment and trained staff.
This summer, Project HOPE visited the Clinical Hospital Bitola, a critical healthcare facility for the southwest region of the country. The hospital, with 24 medical departments and a 520-bed capacity, handles about 18,000 inpatients and 320,000 outpatients annually, supported by 160 specialist doctors. During the assessment, the team found that the hospital’s obstetrics and neonatal departments were suffering from either outdated or non-existent equipment, which has led to a significant decline in labor and deliveries. To address this gap, Project HOPE donated state-of-the-art medical equipment worth around €100,000, including delivery beds, examination chairs, fetal and patient monitors, incubators, warmers, syringe pumps, jaundice lights, examination lights, and various consumables – all of which will significantly enhance the hospital’s capacity to provide high-quality care and encourage families to return to the public hospital for childbirth.
“Through these efforts, Project HOPE is not only upgrading the Clinical Hospital Bitola but also revitalizing maternal and neonatal care in the region,” says Vlatko Uzevski, Project HOPE’s Regional Manager for the Balkans. “The enhanced facilities and equipment ensure that families receive the best possible care, reaffirming the hospital’s role as a cornerstone of healthcare in southwestern North Macedonia, and improving health outcomes for the smallest patients.”
Learn more about Project HOPE’s work in North Macedonia here. For media inquiries, contact media@projecthope.org.
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About Project HOPE
Founded in 1958, Project HOPE is a leading global health and humanitarian organization operating in more than 25 countries around the world. We work side-by-side with local health systems to save lives and improve health. Our mission is at the epicenter of today’s greatest health challenges, including infectious and chronic diseases, disasters and health crises, maternal, neonatal and child health and the policies that impact how health care is delivered. For more information on Project HOPE and its work around the world, visit www.ProjectHOPE.org and follow us on Twitter @ProjectHOPEorg.
