Saving the lives of the prematurely born

South Africa – Cape Town – 14 November 2019 – Akhona Hili with her baby Ivakhele Hili who was born at 27 weeks. World Prematurity Day is on 17 November 2019. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), every year an estimated 15 million infants worldwide are born preterm (over 3 weeks early). The Mowbray Maternity Hospital, the largest dedicated maternity hospital in South Africa, officially opened its doors in 1916
Picture: Henk Kruger/African News Agency
(ANA)

Doris Mollel

The Doris Mollel Foundation is a Tanzanian based organization established in 2015 to provide for the needs of the prematurely born in Tanzania and the world at large. Its founder (Ms Doris Mollel), herself prematurely born, saw the strong need to support her Government efforts  to alleviate the plight of these unfortunate individuals by raising awareness, providing medical care, furnishing hospitals with equipment necessary for their survival and advising the Government on creating friendly policies to support parents.

The Foundation is proud to have touched lives of more than 8,000 premature born babies and supported 36 Hospitals in partnership with various partners and stakeholders. It is hoped the work of the Doris Mollel Foundation will contribute immensely to Government efforts.

Having worked all over the United Republic of Tanzania for the last three years and having brought about a change in narrative and efforts towards saving and caring for the prematurely born, the organization sees the need for the rest of East Africa to take up this mantle and duplicate these efforts for premature babies born elsewhere in the region.

The Foundation has managed to request the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania to look into labor laws act and relations and Extend its Parental leave for parents with premature babies. The foundation has been the lead in addressing prematurity agenda in East African Legislative Assembly petitioning it to enforce member states to invest in prematurity, the leading cause of death for the under five, becoming a first voice and a face of the born too soon. 

The foundation is now leading efforts in requesting the United Nations to incorporate World Prematurity Day in its Calendar. 

They believe in creating a world where humanity is key to life.