Call: Maternity and neonatal intensive care units must be urgently equipped to combat infant mortality

Only a third of Romanian taxpayers redirect 3.5% of their income tax to social causes and programs. The rest goes to the state

Only a third of Romanian taxpayers (29.93%) who could have ensured the financing of some social causes exercised this right last year, by redirecting 3.5% of the income tax, according to ANAF data, at the request of Salvați Children Romania. With an infant mortality rate that places us on the negative podium of the European Union, competing for first place with Bulgaria, Romania has an average age expressed in years for the equipment related to the neonatology specialization of 8 years (Salvați Copiii survey, which reveals the needs of the neonatology system) , where state-of-the-art medical equipment makes a crucial difference in saving newborns with extreme prematurity or serious medical pathologies. The organization makes a call and announces the urgency of equipping pediatric hospitals and maternity hospitals that have requested help to be equipped with high-performance medical equipment.

“Children who are born prematurely and those who have complex medical pathologies do not have months and years for the state to equip hospitals with high-performance medical equipment. Bureaucracy only endangers children’s chance for life and health. In just two minutes, as it takes to complete a form to redirect 3.5% of income tax, vital funds are secured to support maternity hospitals and neonatal intensive care units”, says Gabriela Alexandrescu, Executive President of Save the Children Romania.

From 2010 until now, the Save the Children Organization has equipped 126 medical units (neonatology wards, neonatal intensive care, pediatrics and Obstetrics-Gynecology wards) from all the counties of the country, with over 1,770 pieces of vital equipment, investing over 11 million Of euro. In 2023 alone, Save the Children has equipped more than 55 medical facilities with high-performance equipment, ensuring the survival and proper treatment of at least 60,000 children.

“The program for equipping maternity hospitals and neonatal intensive care units is a priority for Save the Children. We did pioneering work in the field and, after 14 years, the program has become a large one, both in vulnerable communities and in terms of strengthening the capacity of hospitals to save and care for newborns. We have the best partners in doctors and thus we manage to concretely support the medical system with what is necessary, but the efforts must be strengthened with coherent health policies that correct the disparities”, he explained Gabriela Alexandrescu, Executive President of Save the Children Romania.

The Save the Children Romania team, supported by local specialists (family doctors, social workers, health mediators), has created since 2010 a network of social inclusion and combating poverty by providing integrated services (medical, social, educational) at the local level, thus helping to increase access to sustainable and quality services for mothers, pregnant women, pregnant minors and children up to 5 years old.

Redirection of 3.5% of income tax, 100% life for children

Because the lives of children struggling to live depend on the investment we make in maternity hospitals and integrated programs to support mother and child health, Save the Children is calling for the redirection of 3.5% of income tax to a vital cause: equipping maternity hospitals (Neonatology, Neonatal Intensive Care, Obstetrics-Gynecology) and hospitals and pediatric departments with high-performance equipment.

Until now, Save the Children Romania has worked in 20 counties, in disadvantaged rural communities, with 100,000 mothers, pregnant women and children up to 5 years old. Also, in the last two years alone, we have been involved, together with renowned doctors, in organizing 17 training courses for neonatologists on ultrasound and ventilation in the care of premature newborns.

Last year, the total amount collected through the 3.5% mechanism was 372,191,818 lei (of which 313,696,675, following the submission of Form 230 and 58,495,143, following the submission of the Single Declaration in 2022), according to an answer given by ANAF to the Save the Children Romania request.

The total number of forms through which taxpayers requested the redirection of up to 3.5% of the tax related to the fiscal year 2022 was 2,166,676.

Context

The infant mortality rate rose again, to 5.7 per thousand live births, compared to 5.2 the previous year, with a peak in Sălaj county – 10.5 per thousand live births – and a minimum for the municipality of Bucharest – 2.5 per thousand, which enshrines the huge disparities that exist in the country. It is worth noting that the increase in infant mortality comes against the background of a collapse in the birth rate: thus, we have a number of 178,233 newborns, compared to 193,191 – in 2021, respectively 206,826 – in 2020.

According to the final data of the INS, in 2022, the infant mortality rate maintains major discrepancies between the country’s counties.

Top counties with high infant mortality rate:

1. 1. Salaj – 10.5 per thousand
2. 2. Mehedinti – 8.8 per thousand
3. 3. Brăila – 8.3 per thousand
4. 4. Hunedoara – 8.3 per thousand
5. 5. Mureș – 7.8 per thousand
6. 6. Suceava – 7.8 per thousand live births.

Where is the lowest infant mortality rate:

1. 1. Bucharest Municipality – 2.5 per thousand live births
2. 2. Ilfov – 3.3 per thousand
3. 3. White – 3.6 per thousand
4. 4. Ialomita – 3.9 per thousand
5. 5. Cluj – 4.5 per thousand
6. 6. Tulcea – 4.7 per thousand.

About infant mortality in the EU

According to data centralized at the level of the European Union for the year 2021, Romania is in 2nd place in the EU in terms of infant mortality, Eurostat statistics show. Thus, in 2021 Bulgaria had an infant mortality rate of 5.6 per thousand live births, followed by Romania, with a rate of 5.2 per thousand and Slovakia, where the infant mortality rate was 4.9 per thousand children born alive. At the opposite pole, the lowest infant mortality rate is recorded in Sweden, Finland and Slovenia with 1.8 per thousand live births.

Hospitals for which 3.5% can be transformed into high-performance equipment:

1. 1. Bucharest – Maternity of the “Nicolae Malaxa” Clinical Hospital
2. 2. Clinical Hospital CF2 Bucharest
3. 3. Bucharest – National Institute for Mother and Child Health – Polizu Maternity
4. 4. Călăraşi – Oltenița Municipal Hospital
5. 5. Galați – Tg City Hospital. Peony
6. 6. Hunedoara – Deva County Hospital
7. 7. Ilfov – Ilfov County Emergency Hospital
8. 8. Iași – Obstetrics-Gynecology Clinical Hospital “Cuza Vodă” Iași
9. 9. Neamt – Târgu Neamt City Hospital
10. 10. Vâlcea – Horezu City Hospital.

All those who want to get involved can send the form for redirecting 3.5% of the income tax to the financial administration they belong to with their domicile, deadline – May 25, 2024.

The pre-filled form with the organization’s data can be downloaded or filled out online, directly on the Save the Children website, HERE: www.salvaticopiii.ro/redirectioneaza.