While great progress has been made to improve child survival across the globe, newborn survival continues to lag behind. Today, newborn deaths make up a growing proportion of under-five mortality: 44 percent of all deaths among children less than five years old happen during the first 28 days of life. In addition, more than 2.6 million babies are delivered stillborn each year. The vast majority of these tragic deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. And many are preventable. Two-thirds of newborn deaths could be prevented through low-cost, high-impact interventions that are available today across the reproductive, maternal, and newborn continuum of care.
Donors and policymakers can make a significant global health impact by funding and supporting maternal and child health programs that specifically address the leading causes of newborn mortality, as well as the development, introduction, and scale-up of new lifesaving innovations.