Technical Areas
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Source: © 2003 Georgina Cranston,
Courtesy of Photoshare |
Postpartum and Newborn Care:
Neonatal Health
Magnitude of the Problem
Each year, about 4 million newborns die and 4 million more are stillborn, and 98 percent of these deaths occur in developing countries. Half of all infant deaths occur in the first 28 days after birth – the neonatal period – and of those, 75 percent die in the first week after birth, underscoring the critical importance of maternal health and care during pregnancy and delivery on neonatal survival.
Facts about Neonatal Health
- The majority of newborn deaths are caused by infection, birth asphyxia, and complications related to premature birth.
- Three-fourths of these deaths are preventable through low-cost and evidence-based interventions.
- Globally, half of births occur in the home. Reaching infants where they are born is of paramount importance.
- Most maternal and neonatal deaths occur within the first week of birth. Yet, 43 percent of women and newborns do not receive any postpartum care.
USAID’s Neonatal Health Program
The objective of USAID’s neonatal program is to reduce neonatal mortality by building on and strengthening neonatal interventions within existing maternal and child health programs and linking with prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) in high HIV/AIDS prevalence countries.
Key program strategies include treating the mother and baby as a dyad by integrating maternal and newborn programs to support the full continuum of care during pregnancy, labor and birth, and after the birth of the baby with evidence-based perinatal and newborn interventions. USAID programs strengthen community-based approaches and empower families and communities to care for the newborn with simple preventive interventions such as warmth, hygienic cord care, early and exclusive breastfeeding, and to recognize and refer for complications such as infection. The program links communities to facilities, strengthens health systems, trains health providers, and improves quality of care in health facilities.
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Source: © 2000 Rick Maiman/David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Courtesy of Photoshare |
By putting a spotlight on postpartum care, USAID has renewed its program efforts to strengthen the weakest link in the continuum of care to reach new mothers and their newborns for health services and information when most maternal and neonatal deaths occur. In a relatively new and evolving field, USAID’s newborn care program supports operations research to guide the identification, bundling, and scaling up of interventions and emphasizes the support of global and regional leadership and advocacy.
Country Program Information
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