26/01/2026
BHUTH commemorates World Prematurity Day 2026
Today, Bingham University Teaching Hospital (BHUTH) joins families, health workers, and communities around the world to mark World Prematurity Day 2026, with the theme: “Give preterm babies a strong start for a hopeful future.” It’s a short sentence—until you’ve stood by an incubator and realized a “strong start” can mean courage, careful monitoring, sleepless shifts, and prayers whispered so quietly even the baby monitor barely hears them.
Prematurity is closer to home than most people think: about 1 in 10 babies globally arrive before 37 weeks. So in almost every street, church, office, and market, there’s a family that has heard: “We need to watch this baby closely.” And yes—“watch closely” can quickly turn into a full-time job… with overtime, weekend duty, and no public holidays.
At BHUTH, we see the real-life side of the statistics: tiny babies fighting big battles—learning to breathe steadily, stay warm, feed well, and avoid infections. Parents also become “instant consultants”—suddenly fluent in CPAP, jaundice, and kangaroo mother care—while we keep reminding them to eat something and rest small. World Prematurity Day matters because it keeps global attention on improving care for babies born too soon and supporting families through the journey.
From BHUTH to the world: let’s make the theme practical—by strengthening antenatal care, ensuring skilled care at birth, improving newborn unit support, encouraging early referral, and providing family-centered follow-up that continues after discharge. Because it’s not only about surviving—it’s about thriving.
To every preterm baby fighting, every parent hoping, and every health worker showing up again and again—we see you.
To leaders and partners everywhere—please invest in newborn care, because sometimes the future arrives early.