IMPULSE is a two-phase research project led by the consortium of Burlo Garofalo WHO collaborating center, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and CUAMM Doctors with Africa and developed in collaboration with the World Health Organization and UNICEF.

The research aims to generate evidence on effective and sustainable tools and methods for improving the availability, quality, and use of newborn data in sub-Saharan Africa and, by doing so, contribute to improving the health and well-being of every newborn particularly small and sick newborns admitted for hospital care.

This work is a direct response to the urgent need for data critical to driving change to end preventable newborn mortality, given 2.4 million deaths per year, most of which are preventable.

The Sustainable Development Goal target 3.2 is for all countries to reduce neonatal mortality to no more than 12 per 1,000 live births before 2030 and ‘leave no-one behind’.

Data are urgently needed to accelerate actions in high mortality settings including across Sub-Saharan Africa, where some countries are projected to reach this SDG target more than 100 years later.

In different four African country contexts, IMPULSE will contribute to improving neonatal data quality and use, with the final objective of informing policies for improving care and outcomes for newborns and their families.

The IMPULSE project represents a crucial milestone for the Foundation and is the result of a deep reflection on the role of scientific research within the programs supported by the Organization.

In 2019, we decided to strategically refocus our research program to increase our impact in the field of global health, aligning with our commitment to improving neonatal care in Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Today, we are glad to support a project fully aligned with our mission and strategy.

The Chiesi Foundation takes this opportunity to thank all IMPULSE partners for their commitment and trust in co-designing this project. A special thanks to the neonatologist Dr. Merran Thomson, a member of the Foundation’s Board, for her dedication to the development of the project.