Baxter and Bliss Partner to Raise Awareness of World Prematurity Day
Baxter holds “Little Lights” walk in Berkshire village to raise awareness of the needs of preterm babies
Baxter employees taking part in the Bliss Little Lights Walk in Compton, Newbury
Newbury, UK -
Baxter Healthcare Ltd, has partnered with leading charity Bliss to raise awareness of World Prematurity Day (WPD) which was held on Friday 17 November. WPD is a global movement and was established to raise awareness of premature birth, the needs of babies who are born early or born needing specialist care and the impact this can have on families.
To recognise this day Baxter's employees across three of their UK and Ireland sites including the head office in Compton, Newbury, joined together to undertake many different activities to raise £1000 for Bliss and increase awareness of premature birth. Fun activities included a baby themed "Bake Off" competition and a guess the baby competition. The events culminated in a "Little Lights Walk" through the village where the office is based attended by employees, family members and local residents.
"Preterm infants – among the most vulnerable patients – represent over 10% of newborns in the UK each year and often require special medical needs in the early stages of their lives," said Andy Goldney, General Manager, Baxter UK, Ireland and Nordic. "We are delighted to have partnered with Bliss to raise awareness of premature birth and the impact it can have," he added.
Nearly 15 million babies globally, or about one in ten, are born preterm each year¹. The early hours and days of these patients' lives are critical: preterm birth is a leading cause of death in children under five years, claiming more than one million lives every year.²
For more information about World Prematurity Day, visit: http://www.marchofdimes.org/mission/world-prematurity-day.aspx.
About Baxter
Baxter provides a broad portfolio of essential renal and hospital products, including home, acute and in-centre dialysis; sterile IV solutions; infusion systems and devices; parenteral nutrition; surgery products and anaesthetics; and pharmacy automation, software and services. The company's global footprint and the critical nature of its products and services play a key role in expanding access to healthcare in emerging and developed countries. Baxter’s employees worldwide are building upon the company's rich heritage of medical breakthroughs to advance the next generation of healthcare innovations that enable patient care.
About Bliss
Bliss was founded in 1979 by a group of concerned parents who discovered that no hospital had all the equipment it needed to safely care for premature and sick babies. Determined to do something, these volunteers formed a charity to give vulnerable babies the care they deserve. Almost 40 years later Bliss has grown into the UK's leading charity for babies born premature or sick.
Bliss champions the right for every baby born premature or sick to receive the best care. We achieve this by empowering families, influencing policy and practice, and enabling life-changing research.
Baxter is a trademark of Baxter International Inc.
1World Health Organization. Available from: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs363/en/ (Date of visit: 21.09.2017)
2European Foundation for the Care of Newborn Infants. Available from: http://www.efcni.org/fileadmin/Daten/Web/Presse/2016/PR_EFCNI_World_Prematurity_Day_2016_international.pdf (Date of visit: 18.09.2017)