Born Too Soon: Care for small and sick newborns, evidence for investment and implementation

Progress: In the last decade, policies for newborns have moved forward, but there are major gaps in action, especially for babies born too soon and others with complications. Every year, tens of millions of newborns face life-threatening conditions, especially for those who are preterm, or born too soon. Around 2.3 million newborns die in the first 28 days, with prematurity as the main cause. Another million survive with long-term disabilities.

Programmatic priorities: To meet targets, notably the Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 (under 12 neonatal deaths per 1,000 live births) and the Every Newborn Action Plan, there’s an urgent need to improve newborn care. The shift of births to health facilities (now 80%) provides a new opportunity for saving more lives. Most neonatal deaths can be avoided through small and sick newborn care which requires ten core health system components: political leadership, funding, trained staff, infrastructure, medical supplies, reliable data systems, referral networks, maternal care integration, family involvement, and follow-up after discharge.

Pivots: More investment is needed to ensure all newborns have access to high-quality care, including those in conflict zones or marginalised groups. Over the next decade, countries can go faster and learn together to innovate and improve for newborn care. Ensuring follow-up care for developmental outcomes is foundational for newborns to reach their full potential.