Ghandour Cosmetics Limited, a leading brand of personal care products in Ghana has distributed packs of body care, hygiene and baby care products to parents with babies in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra.
The items were to support NICU Soldiers; an advocacy blog that focuses on the NICU, celebrate World Prematurity Day at the Hospital. Marked every November 17, the day is to raise awareness of preterm birth and the concerns of preterm babies and their families worldwide.
In an interview, Victoria Abaka, Brand Manager at Ghandour Cosmetics Ltd, said the company decided to support the event as part of its corporate social responsibility. She said the company believed in giving back to the society that supports its business and hoped that the gifts will put smiles on the faces of the mothers and help in taking care of their babies.
The founder of NICU Soldiers, Efia Akese who is also a journalist with the Graphic Communications Limited expressed gratitude to Ghandour Cosmetics for the kind gesture. “Having experienced the NICU, I know how difficult the stay can be so we decided to come and share our stories to encourage them and also give them these gifts for themselves and babies.”
Commending NICU Soldiers and Ghandour Cosmetics for their thoughtful gesture, Dr. Kojo Ahor-Essel, Senior Specialist Paediatrician at the NICU spoke against the stigma and discrimination attached to preterm babies. He advised the public to show compassion to mothers of preterm babies as most causes of prematurity were unknown and out of the control of mothers.
Touching on the theme for the celebration, “Small actions, BIG IMPACT: Immediate skin-to-skin care for every baby everywhere,” he said small actions taken by the health workers and the mothers, such as providing adequate nutrition, warmth, and care, can have a big impact on the survival and development of the babies.
