Plea to tackle baby death toll
Tuesday May 20th, 2014
About 8,000 new-born babies die every day around the world, according to a major new study published today.
Lack
of "skilled and competent" healthcare workers is a major problem
together with funding shortages for maternity care in many countries,
according to experts.
On top of the deaths of new-born babies, another 7,000 are lost to stillbirth, according to reports in The Lancet. Nearly half of these babies are lost during labour, experts say.
Half the new-born deaths occur in five countries - India, Nigeria, Pakistan, China and the Democratic Republic of Congo. But eight of the nine countries with the highest death rates are in sub-Saharan Africa.
Professor Joy Lawn, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said: "Each year one million babies die on their birth day – their only day. Without greater investments to improve birth outcomes, by 2035 there will be 116 million deaths, 31 million surviving babies and children with disabilities, and 68 million with lost development potential because of stunting."
Also writing in the journal, Dr Kim Dickson, of the United Nations children's organisation, UNICEF, reports the views of 600 health professionals and policy-makers in many of the affected countries.
She said: "Our findings show that increasing the numbers and skills of health care workers, as well as improving the quality of services available to mothers and their babies in many countries, will need immediate and deliberate attention if newborn health care is to improve in future decades."
Campaigners called on the World Health Assembly, meeting in Geneva this week, to take action.
Brendan Cox, of the UK-based Save the Children, said: "At this week's World Health Assembly, Jeremy Hunt, on behalf of the British government, must make a strong commitment to ensuring that this lamentable failure to provide basic health services to mums is redressed in even the poorest countries and that the UK will play its part in helping."
The UK Royal College of Midwives said the reports highlighted the benefits of having well-trained midwives.
Jacque Gerrard, director for England, said the report showed the UK as among countries making the least progress in tackling baby deaths.
She said: “We need 350,000 more midwives across the world and we need them urgently. Well educated and motivated midwives are needed to support and improve breastfeeding at a global level. This will also contribute to better health outcomes for the baby and in the long term better health for the nation."
Lancet 20 May 2014 [abstract]
Tags: Africa | Asia | Child Health | Childbirth and Pregnancy | UK News | Women's Health & Gynaecology | World Health
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