ICHAfrica

04/06/2026

At the Tiny Feet, Big Steps Neonatology Conference, healthcare providers from across Africa came together to learn lifesaving skills that help newborns survive and thrive. For first-time instructor Richard Businge, the experience was both humbling and inspiring.

"Teaching participants who didn't speak my primary language reminded me that while words may differ, the goal is the same. Our common language was the commitment to learning lifesaving skills for newborn babies."

Richard witnessed healthcare professionals grow in confidence and competence as they practiced skills that will directly impact the lives of babies and families in their communities.

His experience highlights the power of education, collaboration, and a shared commitment to improving newborn care. Thanks to the support of our partners and donors, programs like Tiny Feet, Big Steps are equipping healthcare providers with the knowledge and skills needed to save lives across Africa.

Learn more about Tiny Feet, Big Steps:
https://www.tinyfeetbigsteps.com/

03/06/2026

A Message of Gratitude from the ICHA Team

Because of your generosity, children, mothers, and healthcare professionals across Tanzania are experiencing hope, healing, and opportunity.

In this short video, members of the ICHA team share their heartfelt thanks for your support. Every donation and every act of encouragement has helped advance life-saving neonatal care, train healthcare professionals, and open the doors of the Arusha Pediatric & Maternal Care Centre (APMC)—the first dedicated outpatient pediatric and maternal specialty clinic of its kind in Tanzania.

Your partnership is making a lasting difference. Together, we are strengthening healthcare systems, equipping local medical professionals, and improving access to quality care for mothers, newborns, and children. Most importantly, your support is helping provide critical care for vulnerable babies in the NICU, giving more newborns the chance to survive and thrive.

As APMC continues to grow and serve families throughout the Arusha region, several needs remain. Current priorities include laboratory equipment to expand diagnostic services, solar power and battery backup to protect vaccines and maintain patient care during power outages, oxygen resources for urgent and neonatal care, and ongoing education and training for healthcare staff. These investments will directly support the care of newborns and children while helping ensure families receive reliable, high-quality healthcare for years to come.

Thank you for being part of this story. Your support is not simply funding programs—it is helping save lives in the NICU, strengthening communities, and creating brighter futures for children and families across Tanzania.

To learn more about these opportunities and how you can help, please visit our Current Needs page: https://www.ichafrica.org/current-needs.html

02/06/2026

Every skill learned. Every life touched. Every newborn given a stronger chance to survive.

At the Tiny Feet Big Steps Neonatology Conference, healthcare professionals from across Africa are gaining hands-on experience with practical newborn care techniques that can be applied immediately in their hospitals and communities.

Henry Waligo of Nakakeeto Foundation Uganda shared:

"TFBS has reminded me how much impact compassionate and evidence-based neonatal care can have on the smallest lives. I leave this conference more motivated, more confident, and deeply grateful to be part of a community committed to improving newborn care across Africa."

His words capture exactly why this conference exists—to equip, encourage, and connect those working tirelessly to improve outcomes for mothers and newborns.

Together, we are building a growing network of healthcare champions dedicated to reducing preventable newborn deaths and creating brighter futures for children across Africa.

https://www.tinyfeetbigsteps.com/
https://www.ichafrica.org/

31/05/2026

On Friday evening Dr. Steve and Jodi shared an update on the work of the Institute for Child Healthcare Africa (ICHA) at a fundraiser, reflecting on their time in Tanzania from 2013 to the impact being made today.

In this presentation, you'll learn about:
• The growth and development of neonatal intensive care services
• The expansion of the Tiny Feet Big Steps neonatal education program across Africa
• The launch of the Arusha Pediatric and Maternal Care Centre (APMC) in Tanzania
• The vision for the future of maternal and newborn healthcare

At the end of the video, you'll hear about the current needs and opportunities to support the work of APMC as it continues to serve mothers, newborns, and families. The current needs for APMC are:
- Laboratory equipment
- Solar Panels/Inverter
- Oxygen for urgent care
- Staff education & training

Thank you for joining us on this journey of hope, growth, and impact.

https://www.ichafrica.org/

0:0 - Welcome to the group of friends, supporters and donors.
5:30 - Beginning their work in Tanzania in 2013.
9:00 - Their focus on education, training and mentoring a new generation.
11:30 - The Arusha NICU's growth and impact.
18:40 - The development of the Tiny Feet Big Steps Neonatology Conferences.
31:15 - The Arusha Pediatric & Maternal Care Centre.
46:00 - Current needs.

Thank you for your support!
https://www.ichafrica.org/donate.html

https://youtu.be/etMN4kJFwg0

In May 2026, Dr. Steve and Jodi shared an update on the work of Ins...

29/05/2026

We are thrilled to see Every Breath Counts being used in hospitals across Africa to support the care of newborns and children.

Recently, Dr. Dorcas Naa Dedei Aryeetey shared this photo with Dr. Felicia Duopa Okyere, Senior Specialist Pediatrician at St. Patrick's Hospital, a district hospital located in Offinso-Maase in Ghana's Ashanti Region.

Dr. Dorcas told us:
"Yesterday, while revising the management plan for some of our babies, we were discussing their care and I asked my boss that we compare notes from the Tiny Feet Big Steps Protocol Book – Every Breath Counts – and review our care plan."

Moments like these remind us why we created Every Breath Counts: to provide practical, evidence-based guidance that helps healthcare teams deliver the best possible care for newborns and children.

We are grateful to the dedicated clinicians, nurses, and healthcare teams across Africa who are using this resource every day to improve outcomes for their youngest patients.

To learn more about Every Breath Counts, visit our website: https://www.ichafrica.org/every-breath-counts-handbook.html

If you are unable to access the site—a challenge we know affects some African countries—please email [email protected] and we will be happy to provide additional information.

We would love to hear from other hospitals and healthcare teams using Every Breath Counts. Please share your photos and stories with us at [email protected] so we can celebrate the incredible work being done across the continent.

We are very grateful to Dr. Samudragupta Bora (Case Western Reserve University) and Global Health Ministries for providing funding enabling us to distribute copies of Every Breath Counts!

Photo cred: Asamoah Gloria (Newborn Unit Pediatric Nurse In Charge)

28/05/2026

Friday evening, join us for From First Breath to Bright Futures, an inspiring evening supporting the new Arusha Pediatric & Maternal Care Centre (APMC) — the first outpatient pediatric and maternal clinic of its kind in Tanzania. Families will have access to specialized care for mothers, newborns, and children, helping more children survive and thrive.

We’re honored to welcome Dr. Stephen Swanson and Jodi Swanson as they share stories and updates from the incredible work happening on the ground in Tanzania.

📍 Immanuel Lutheran Church, Eden Prairie, MN, USA
📅 Friday, May 29
⏰ 6:30–8:00 PM
🍰 Dessert & drinks provided

Whether you attend in person or support online, your generosity helps build a lifetime of care for children and families.

If you have already RSVP'd or made a donation, thank you!

RSVP here: https://www.ichafrica.org/rsvp-bright-futures.html
Donate here: https://www.ichafrica.org/bf-donate.html
Bright Futures Fundraiser: https://www.ichafrica.org/bright-futures.html

27/05/2026

A large part of ICHA’s work is the Tiny Feet, Big Steps Conferences, Africa’s largest clinical neonatology training conferences. Since 2021, these conferences have trained hundreds of doctors and nurses from more than 200 hospitals across over 20 African countries in practical, low-cost, evidence-based care for critically ill and premature newborns. The conferences uniquely train physicians and nurses together, emphasizing teamwork, innovation, and immediately applicable clinical skills that improve newborn survival in resource-limited hospitals.

Participants also receive the “Every Breath Counts” neonatal care handbook, developed by ICHA clinicians as a practical guide for neonatal care in low-income settings.

Watch this summary of our 2026 Arusha Tiny Feet Big Steps Neonatology Conference.

We welcome conference sponsorship to help cover costs which include: subsidized registration fees, distribution of our Every Breath Counts manual and staffing.

Tiny Feet Big Steps: https://www.tinyfeetbigsteps.com/
ICHA: https://www.ichafrica.org/

[email protected]