19th October, 2017
More must be done to stop babies from dying the day they are born, UN agencies said in a new report on Thursday.
‘The Levels and Trends in Child Mortality 2017’, released by the Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (IGME) said estimated 7,000 newborns die daily in spite of the drop in under-five mortality rate.
The report argued that life-saving know-how and technologies must be made readily available – particularly in Southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa – where they are most needed.
The IGME report said the number of children dying before age five is at a new low of 5.6 million in 2016 compared with nearly 9.9 million in 2000.
It, however, said the proportion of newborn deaths during that period has jumped from 41 to 46 percent or 7,000 babies.
IGME comprised of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organisation (WHO), the World Bank and the Population Division in the UN Department for Economic and Social Affairs.
Stefan Peterson, the UNICEF Chief of Health, in a joint press statement, said there was the commitment by governments to tackle preventable child deaths.
“The lives of 50 million children under-five have been saved since 2000, a testament to the serious commitment by governments and development partners to tackle preventable child deaths.
“But without a greater effort to stop babies from dying the day they are born, or days after their birth, this progress will remain incomplete.
“We have the knowledge and technologies that are required – we just need to take them where they are most needed,” Peterson added.
Current trends suggest that between 2017 and 2030, 30 million newborns will die within first 28 days of life.
The agencies, therefore, stressed that measures must be taken to achieve universal health coverage and ensure that more newborns survive and thrive, including by serving marginalized families.
“To prevent illness, families require financial power, their voices to be heard and access to quality care,” said Dr Flavia Bustreo, WHO’s Assistant Director-General for Family, Women’s and Children’s Health.
“Improving the quality of services and timely care during and after childbirth must be prioritised.”
Tim Evans, Senior Director of Health Nutrition and Population at the World Bank Group, said that it was unconscionable that in 2017 pregnancy and childbirth were still life-threatening conditions for women.
The World Bank official referred to the principle financing arm of the UN-backed Every Woman Every Child initiative.
“The best measure of success for universal health coverage is that every mother should not only be able to access healthcare easily.
“But that it should be quality, affordable care that will ensure a healthy and productive life for her children and family.
“We are committed to scaling up our financing to support country demand in this area, including through innovative mechanisms like the Global Financing Facility,” Evans added.
Despite progress, large disparities in child survival still exist across regions and countries – especially in Southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Liu Zhenmin said: “This new report highlights the remarkable progress since 2000 in reducing mortality among children under age five”.
Zhenmin, however, regretted that many deaths at these ages were easily preventable through simple, cost-effective interventions administered before, during and immediately after birth.
“Reducing inequities and reaching the most vulnerable newborns, children and mothers are essential for achieving the SDGs target on ending preventable childhood deaths and for ensuring that no one will be left behind.”