The World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Member States and stakeholders in the Western Pacific Region share a vision for mothers and their children: that every newborn infant has the right to a healthy start in life. But one newborn infant dies every two minutes – often needlessly – in the Region.
Together, we have taken bold steps to address this grim statistic, with Member States endorsing the Action Plan for Healthy Newborn Infants in the Western Pacific Region (2014–2020). The plan aims to improve the quality of childbirth and newborn care in health facilities, where the vast majority of births occur in the Region.
Member States reported important accomplishments in improving care in the two years following the launch of the action plan, as outlined in the First biennial progress report of the action plan. This Second biennial progress report shows further impressive results achieved in 2016 and 2017, thanks to the dedication of Member States, health providers and development partners.