Anjali Sharma
GG News Bureau
UNITED NATIONS, 10th May. According to a new report released by UN agencies and partners on Wednesday stated that premature births claims a million lives every year “silent emergency” is requires concerted action to swiftly improve children’s health and survival,
According to Born too soon Decade of action on preterm birth estimated 13.4 million babies were born premature in 2020, with a million dying from pre-term complications.
UNICEF and WHO with its Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, the report outlined a strategy forward to address this phenomenon, which has been long under-recognized in its scale and severity.
PMNCH Executive Director Helga Fogstad said “Progress is flat lining for maternal and newborn health, as well as the prevention of stillbirths.”
She warned that gains made are being pushed back further through the devastating combination of COVID-19, climate change, expanding conflicts and rising living costs.
“By working together in partnership – governments, donors, the private sector, civil society, parents, and health professionals – we can sound the alarm about this silent emergency,” she said.
It noted that this means bringing preterm prevention and care efforts to the forefront of national health and development efforts, building human capital by supporting families, societies, and economies everywhere, she added.
The report showed that preterm birth rates have not changed in any region in the world in the past decade, with 152 million vulnerable babies born too soon from 2010 to 2020.
Preterm births occur earlier than 37 weeks of an expected 40-week full-term pregnancy.
The report noted updated estimates from WHO and UNICEF, prepared with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, on the prevalence of preterm births.
Steven Lauwerier, Director of Health at UNICEF, noted that every preterm death, created “a trail of loss and heartbreak”.
“Despite the many advances the world has made in the past decade, we have made no progress in reducing the number of small babies born too soon or averting the risk of their death. The toll is devastating. It’s time we improve access to care for pregnant mothers and preterm infants and ensure every child gets a healthy start and thrives in life.”
The report said that preterm birth is the leading cause of child deaths, accounted for more than one in five of all deaths of children occurring before their fifth birthday.
Preterm survivors can face lifelong health consequences, with an increased likelihood of disability and developmental delays.
The report found that often, where babies are born, determines if they survive, noted that only 1 in 10 extremely preterm babies survive in low-income countries, compared to more than nine in 10 in high-income nations.
It showed gaping inequalities related to race, ethnicity, income, and access to quality care, determine the likelihood of preterm birth, death, and disability, even in high-income countries.
Southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa have the highest rates of preterm birth, accounted for over 65 per cent of global cases.
The report showed that increasing risks for women and babies everywhere. The air pollution is estimated to contribute to 6 million preterm births each year.
According to a new analysis in the report, 1 in 10 preterm babies are born in the 10 most fragile countries affected by humanitarian crises.
It showed that across the world, groups for affected families of preterm birth have been at the forefront of advocating for access to better care and policy change and supporting other families.
It added that past decade has seen a growth of community activism on preterm birth and stillbirth prevention, driven by networks of parents, health professionals, academia, and civil society.
UNICEF, WHO, and UNICEF are calling for a set of actions to save lives: boost investments in newborn health, accelerate implementation of national policies, integrate efforts across sectors, and support locally led innovation and research to support improvements in quality of care and equity in access.
Anshu Banerjee, Director for Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing at WHO said “Ensuring quality care for these tiniest, most vulnerable babies and their families is absolutely imperative for improving child health and survival,”
She added that progress must advance in prevention, which means every woman must be able to access quality health services before and during pregnancy to identify and manage risks.
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