Hello all, very much appreciate both the piece on the COVID Pandemic and collateral damage to children and the study from Kenya and Uganda on fresh stillbirth and neonatal mortality among preterm and low birth weight newborns. The realities affecting health systems both pre COVID and now with COVID place a high burden of morbidity and mortality on women and children with a significant portion of <5 deaths among neonates. And, as we know, right now globally complications from preterm birth are the greatest cause of both < 5 and neonatal mortality. Working with health care providers and families (particularly mothers and fathers) to provide the right care for early/small & sick babies is essential and evidenced by the study shared below. There are some valuable resources available now via WHO including Survive and Thrive: Transforming care for every small and sick newborn and the recently launched WHO Standards of Care for Small and Sick Newborns. The first was designed by global experts to call attention to the fact that most small/sick newborns can survive with essential quality care but that to meet the SDG 2030 target, we need to strengthen service delivery especially specialized care for these vulnerable newborns. The standards of care are the essential guide for the care that needs to be given for inpatient newborns. A few key highlights from Survive and Thrive:
1. By scaling up a comprehensive set of interventions along a continuum of care (from preconception nutrition to care of small & sick newborns), the annual number of neonatal, stillbirth and maternal deaths could be reduced by an estimated 2.9 million in 81 high burden countries by 2030;
2. 1.7 million newborn lives could be saved each year by investing in quality newborn care; almost half of this impact (747,400 newborn lives per year) would result from providing special and intensive hospital care for small and sick newborns would be neonatal deaths;
3. 28% of newborn deaths (n = 667,200) could be averted in 2025 by addressing the quality gap in special and intensive newborn care;
4. Cost-effective, evidence-based solutions are available to prevent newborn deaths and disability – the highest impact interventions on intrapartum related deaths are a) appropriate labour and delivery management and b) neonatal resuscitation;
5. The highest impact interventions on preterm related deaths are a) intensive care and b) Kangaroo Mother Care.
Unfortunately, the COVID 19 pandemic is exposing and exacerbating very real health service gaps for pregnant women and newborns and, as presented, children. These gaps are, and will remain unacceptable. Urging everyone to spend time with the documents listed here and to use them and others to mobilize real action for change and to continue to advocate for improved care for moms, newborns and children now and into the future.
Warmest regards, Judith Robb-McCord, MAAS, MPH
CHIFA profile: Judith Robb-McCord is Senior Director, Every Preemie-SCALE (Scaling, Catalyzing, Advocating, Learning, and Evidence-Driven) at Project Concern International, PCI, in the USA. Judith has over 25 years of international public health experience, including program leadership in maternal, newborn and child health; reproductive health and family planning; malaria; and HIV/AIDS. She has worked with a variety of global and national partners to create long-range strategies and to design and implement projects for improved health outcomes primarily in Africa and Asia.
Email: jmccord AT pciglobal.org
