UNICEF suggests changes to save 71% of newborn deaths in India

NP NEWS 24 ONLINE: On Thursday, in Partner’s Forum, United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) ‘Survive and Thrive’ put forward a report stating, India can prevent 71% of an estimated 6 lakh newborn deaths each year if all mothers deliver at a healthcare facility, have access to caesarean section services, safe blood and if special care for sick new-borns are accessible.

Omar Abdi, deputy executive director of UNICEF explained that it is estimated that about 5.3 million children under the age of 5 dies worldwide in 2017, of which 2.5 million are newborn which means, 45% of all the deaths in children were in zero to 28 days old. Where in India, the proportion is higher at 62%.

“There are two aspects to reducing these deaths. Prevention by providing proper nutrition to mothers, providing ante-natal check-ups, not having babies before the girls are ready, delivering in a proper healthcare facility or with the help of skilled attendants, who should when to refer the women to a higher-facility. Then is also a need to have proper connectivity between primary, secondary and tertiary care facilities so that women and newborns are able to seek and receive appropriate care. The government’s initiative to reduce child marriage will also likely have an impact on the maternal and child health,” He added.

The report also added that this is just a quarter of the global new-born deaths. Out of all the newborn deaths, 80% die due to low birth weight and two-thirds are premature.

Sadly, an estimated 5 million women still deliver babies at home every year without any skilled birth attendance, with half the births taking place in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar alone.

On the other hand, West Bengal and Tripura have the highest rate with 18 % adolescent mother which shows 8% in India in the global chart.

According to the same report, globally 2.9 million lives of mothers and children can be saved by 2030 by providing pre-conception care during pregnancy, labour and delivery, care of the healthy new-born and help for sick newborns.