https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/13/4/481
Neonatal mortality in Ethiopia remains high at 33 per 1000 live births. The aim of this study was to evaluate the readiness of 208 Ethiopian hospitals across four regions to provide services to small and sick newborns prior to the implementation of the Saving Little Lives program, using the adapted World Health Organization Service Availability and Readiness Assessment tool. The mean composite readiness score for the 208 hospitals was 59%, with domain-specific scores of 47% for basic amenities, 56% for essential neonatal care, and 74% for newborn resuscitation. Significant variation was seen across hospital levels. Functional bCPAP machines were available in 14% of labour and delivery wards and in 35% of neonatal care units. Immediate actions must be taken to address the observed gaps to reach the sustainable development goal of reducing neonatal mortality to at least 12 per 1000 live births by 2030.