We envision an Afghanistan where no family ever has to lose an infant due to hypothermia.

The Warmth to Afghanistan program (WTA) is based out of 5 large and midsize government hospitals serving very large populations in Kabul.  Through the WTA program, Embrace and HEEDA have worked to offer access to the Embrace warming devices, in addition to side-by-side trainings for staff and mothers regarding interventions for hypothermia. Beyond this, a sustainable culture change has been facilitated within each hospital promoting the assessment and prevention/treatment of infant hypothermia.

Each of these hospitals are severely under-resourced in equipment and supplies. All three had few working radiant warmers or incubators to support premature hypothermia . Before the WTA program, despite very high volumes of births and large numbers of infants in the NICU  (around 1,800 births/month at our primary Tier 1 site- Rabia Balkhi Hospital) and maternity wards, there have been few solutions to support a growing number of deliveries in the hospitals.

With an emphasis on Kangaroo Mother Care practice in line with WHO recommendations for supporting neonatal hypothermia and the use of disruptive innovation, the WTA program has been able to show tremendous success in supporting hospitals, doctors and patients in Afghanistan. ​

Rabia Balkhi Hospital (RBH)
At Rabia Balkhi, a Tier 1 Program, HEEDA employs and supervises a Site Manager who oversees the program and the use of Embrace, offers initial and on-going training for staff, provides side-by-side education for mothers with hands-on training in KMC, and has been ensuring the daily collection of data by staff through written records, collated monthly.

• WTA operates in 3 wards in the hospital: The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit; (NICU), the Labor Ward andOperating Theater (in these last two wards infants are wrapped in the Embrace device and transported to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
• 25 Embrace units have been operating since Feb 2014.
• So far 3,608 infants have been inside Embrace since launch in April 2013. (All data is through Nov 2016).
• Approximately 88% of these infants are 'transport' infants coming from either the Labor Ward or the Operating Theater.
• Nearly 12% are infants cared for in the NICU Nursery.
• 233 staff have received side-by-side training in hypothermia awareness, Embrace and the importance of KMC.
• 228 mothers and family members have received side-by-side training in hypothermia awareness, Embrace and KMC (with emphasis on KMC post-discharge).

Malalai Maternity Hospital (MMH)
Launched in Sept, 2013, this program was initiated as a second tier hospital. A hospital-based nurse midwife has been identified to oversee the program on a day-to-day basis and collect limited data.

• At Malalai Maternity Hospital, Embrace operates in the NICU, Labor Ward and Operating Theater with 10 units.
• Since its launch over 3,150  infants have used Embrace at Malalai. (See latest data charts.)
• Approximately half of these infants are 'transport' infants (transported between wards in the hospital in Embrace).

Indira Gandhi Hospital (IGH)
Launched in October, 2013, this program is a second Embrace 'Satellite' program to RBH with a WTA Liaison, similar to the program at Malalai Maternity Hospital.

• Indira Gandhi is the largest children's hospital in Kabul. There is no labor ward at this hospital (no regular deliveries). Embrace operates in two wards of this hospital, including the NICU nursery, with 10 units.
• From launch in October through November 2013, 380  infants have used Embrace at Indira Gandhi. Almost all of these infants are in the nursery (not transported).