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Opportunities for Africa's newborns
New report shows improvements in child survival in
Africa for the first time since the 1980s — but more than a million
African babies still die in the first month of life
22 NOVEMBER 2006 | JOHANNESBURG/GENEVA -- Sub-Saharan
Africa remains the most dangerous region in the world for a baby to
be born — with 1.16 million babies dying each year in the first 28
days of life — but six low-income African countries, Burkina Faso,
Eritrea, Madagascar, Malawi, Uganda and the United Republic of
Tanzania, have made significant progress in reducing deaths among
newborn babies, according to a new report published today.
The report, Opportunities for Africa’s newborns, brings
together new data and analysis from a team of 60 authors and nine
international organizations from the Partnership for Maternal,
Newborn and Child Health, (PMNCH). The Partnership represents
developing and donor countries, non-governmental agencies,
foundations and multi-lateral organizations, including the World
Health Organization.*
“Good news does come out of Africa,“ said Dr. Joy Lawn, co-editor
of the report, who works in Africa for Saving Newborn Lives/Save the
Children-US. “Whilst the survival of the African child has shown
almost no improvement since the 1980s, the fact that during 2006
several large African countries have reported a dramatic reduction
in the risk of child deaths gives us new hope of more rapid progress
to save Africa’s children.”
Although no measurable progress has been made in reducing newborn
mortality rates for babies during the first month of life in Africa
at regional level, a turnaround has been seen in the six countries
highlighted in the report, with an average reduction of 29% over the
last 10 years. Across the six countries, the reduction ranges from
20% in Tanzania and Malawi to 39% in Burkina Faso and 47% in
Eritrea.* The authors identified factors that contributed to this
progress. For example:
- In Malawi, there is presidential-level commitment to
maternal newborn and child health and increased investment by
partners to address the lack of human resources.
- United Republic of Tanzania has recorded a 30%
reduction in child mortality and a 20% fall in newborn deaths over
the last 5 years. District health managers set local budget
priorities based on deaths in each district and this has meant
increased government spending on essential maternal and child
healthcare.
- In Uganda, the performance of district health
services is ranked each year and published in the national
newspaper.
- Eritrea has made consistent progress over 20 years in
reducing child and newborn deaths with an average annual reduction
of around 4% over the last decade through a focus on reaching high
coverage of basic public health services, including to the poor.
- Burkina Faso ensures that poor women do not pay for
the catastrophic cost of an emergency caesarean section— often
more than an average family income for the year.
Up to half a million African babies die on the day they are born
– most at home and uncounted. According to the report, Liberia has
the world’s highest newborn mortality rate at 66 deaths per 1,000
births compared to less than 2 deaths per 1,000 births in Japan and
6 deaths per 1,000 births in Latvia. Half of Africa’s 1.16 million
newborn deaths occur in just five countries – Nigeria, Democratic
Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, United Republic of Tanzania and
Uganda. Nigeria alone has over 255,000 newborn deaths each year.
“The health of newborn babies has fallen between the cracks –
Africa’s un-named, and uncounted, lost children," said Dr Francisco
Songane, Director of the Partnership. "We must count newborn deaths
and make them count, instead of accepting these deaths as
inevitable. The progress of these six African countries demonstrates
that even the world’s poorest countries can look after their
newborns, their most vulnerable citizens. They have shown the way—we
must seize the opportunity.”
The President of the Pan-African Parliament, Hon. Amb. Gertrude
Mongella, is spearheading action in maternal, newborn and child
health through the African Union and the Pan African Parliament in
Johannesburg. “Reaching every woman, baby and child in Africa with
essential care will depend on us, the users of this publication. We
all have a role to play as governments to lead, as policymakers to
guarantee essential interventions and equity, as partners and donors
to support programmes," she said.
The authors warn that opportunities to save newborn lives within
existing programmes are often missed. For example two-thirds of
women in Africa attend antenatal care yet only 10% receive
preventive treatment for malaria and a mere 1% of mothers with HIV
receive the recommended treatment to prevent mother to child
transmission of HIV/AIDS.
The report found that two-thirds of newborn deaths in sub-Saharan
Africa —up to 800 000 babies a year —could be saved if 90 % of women
and babies received feasible, low-cost health interventions. These
include immunizing women against tetanus, providing a skilled
attendant at birth, treating newborn infections promptly and
educating mothers about hygiene, warmth and breastfeeding for
infants. Saving these lives would take only an estimated US $ 1.39
per capita—or US $1 billion per year. According to the report, this
cost would benefit others, in particular the one million stillborns
and 250 000 mothers who also die each year.
Quotations from other Partnership members
Professor E. Oluwole Akande, chair of the African Regional
Maternal Newborn and Child Health Task Force.
“Policy
frameworks such as the Roadmap for Maternal and Newborn Survival are
now in place in many African countries to reach every mother and
baby with essential care. The gap remains between policy and
action,” said Professor E. Oluwole Akande. "This publication helps
to bridge this gap and will be an invaluable toolkit for action."
Kate Kerber, co-editor of the publication
“We
identified the ABCD of progress by examining the six low income
countries that are progressing ”, said Kate Kerber. “Accountable
leadership, Bringing national policy into district-level action,
Community ownership, and Demonstrated focus on reaching all mothers,
newborn and children with essential life-saving care”
Dr Doyin Oluwole, Director of Africa 2010 (one of the authors
of the report)
“Maternal, newborn and child health care is
the backbone of a healthy health system.” states Doyin Oluwole.
“African decision makers are finding that systematically addressing
newborn health benefits existing maternal and child health care and
promotes integration with other programmes. Integration saves lives
and money.”
EXPERTS AVAILABLE FOR ONE ON ONE INTERVIEWS
- Dr Francisco Songane, Director PMNCH, Geneva
- Dr Joy Lawn, Saving Newborn Lives/Save the Children-US, Cape
Town South Africa
- Ms Anne Tinker, Director, Saving Newborn Lives/Save the
Children-US, Washington
- Dr Doyin Oluwole, Director, Africa 2010, USAID, Washington
- Dr Elizabeth Mason, Director, Child and Adolescent Health, WHO
Geneva
- Dr Monir Islam, Director, Making Pregnancy Safer, WHO Geneva
- Dr Tigest Ketsela, Director, Family and Reproductive Health,
WHO Regional Office for Africa
- Dr Rumisheal Shoo, UNICEF, East and Southern Africa Region,
Nairobi
- Dr Vincent Fauveau, UNFPA, Geneva
MEDIA CONTACTS FOR EACH LOCATION
* The Partnership for Maternal, Maternal, Newborn
& Child Health (PMNCH)
PMNCH represents more than 80 organizations, agencies and country
members. Involved in this publication included: Saving Newborn
Lives/Save the Children-US, The World Health Organization, WHO/AFRO,
UNICEF, 2 regional offices of UNICEF in Africa, the Population
Council, USAID, BASICS, ACCESS, AED, ACQUIRE, Africa 2010, MAQ and
LINKAGES and the International Federation of Gynecology and
Obstetrics (FIGO). Others involved include: International Paediatric
Association (IPA), Union of African Paediatric Societies and
Associations (UNAPSA).
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