Dr. Nei Bauro

Dr. Nei Bauro is a medical officer at Tungaru Central Hospital (TCH) in South Tarawa, specialising in maternal and child health for the I-Kiribati population. With 8 years of clinical experience, Dr. Bauro is the principal physician responsible for obstetric care and child health at TCH, working closely with midwives, nurses, and community health workers across Kiribati's atolls.

Maternal and child health is a critical priority in Kiribati, where maternal mortality and infant mortality remain above regional averages despite significant investment in primary health care. Dr. Bauro's work focuses on safe delivery, management of obstetric emergencies, neonatal care, and prevention of childhood malnutrition and infection-related mortality.

Dr. Bauro is bilingual in English and Gilbertese (Te Kiribati), which is essential for effective communication with patients and for delivering health education messages that resonate with I-Kiribati women and families. She is a strong advocate for improving women's health outcomes across Kiribati's remote outer islands.

Dr. Bauro completed her MBBS at the Fiji School of Medicine in Suva. She holds a Diploma in Obstetrics and Gynaecology and has completed Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care (EmONC) training through the WHO Pacific programme — essential qualifications for managing obstetric emergencies in a resource-limited atoll setting.

She has completed Newborn Resuscitation Programme (NRP) training and IMCI certification. She has undertaken clinical attachments in obstetrics and gynaecology at Colonial War Memorial Hospital, Fiji, and participates in UNFPA Pacific maternal health capacity-building activities. She is a participant in the Pacific Open Learning Health Net (POLHN) midwifery and maternal health education programme.

Dr. Bauro's clinical expertise centres on obstetric and maternal care. She manages antenatal care across TCH and coordinates with outer island health centres for antenatal monitoring for women in remote atolls. She manages labour and delivery, including complicated presentations, and handles obstetric emergencies including postpartum haemorrhage, eclampsia, and obstructed labour — conditions that require rapid management in a setting where specialist backup is not available.

In child health, Dr. Bauro manages neonatal complications, childhood malnutrition (a persistent challenge in overcrowded South Tarawa), respiratory infections, and anaemia. She coordinates Kiribati's expanded programme on immunisation (EPI) and provides family planning services.

Dr. Bauro is dedicated to serving I-Kiribati women and children and to improving maternal and child health outcomes across the archipelago. She has contributed to maternal mortality review data through the Kiribati Ministry of Health and participated in UNFPA Pacific maternal health assessments.

She collaborates with UNICEF Kiribati and the WHO Kiribati Country Office on maternal and child health surveillance and the strengthening of midwifery services in outer island health centres. Her work on antenatal care coverage improvement in the outer atolls has been incorporated into the Kiribati national health strategic plan.

TCH provides obstetric and maternal health services for women across Kiribati's atoll chain. Women with high-risk pregnancies requiring specialist obstetric care not available in Kiribati — such as complex cardiac disease in pregnancy, fetal surgery, or neonatal intensive care — are referred to Fiji through the government's medical referral programme.

International visitors to Kiribati who are pregnant or who have children requiring medical care can access TCH's maternal and child health services. Given the limited specialist resources available in Kiribati, medical evacuation insurance is strongly recommended.

Dr. Bauro has been recognised by the Kiribati Ministry of Health for her contributions to maternal and child health services at Tungaru Central Hospital. She received a UNFPA Pacific Maternal Health Commendation for her work on improving skilled birth attendance in Kiribati's outer island communities.