Newborn Health in Emergencies

Public health in complex emergencies is an increasingly important area of work. Over the last decade experts have demonstrated priority actions, including how to measure the severity of a crisis and how to evaluate the effectiveness of humanitarian response. However, reproductive health – particularly ensuring care during childbirth – has only been recently recognized as a key gap and priority in these settings.

It is no coincidence that countries affected by humanitarian crisis and conflict are the riskiest for mothers and babies. Essential factors such as access to care before, during and after pregnancy in these settings are severely restricted.

The global health cluster that is lead by the World Health Organization has agreed on the Minimum Initial Service Package for reproductive health in crisis situations. The joint CDC and Save the Children Emergency Health and Nutrition toolkit establishes best practices around when and how to act to save the lives of women and their newborns.

Solange has just given birth to her 10th baby at the maternity clinic set up in the grounds of the largest displacement camp in Côte d’Ivoire, in the Western town of Duékoué. That month, 100 babies were born in this classroom turned into a makeshift maternity clinic. Photo: Laurent Duvilier / Save the Children.