Newborns in Kenya face bleak prospects for survival

Preterm babies in incubators at the Kenyatta National Referral Hospital. Newborn deaths are still too high for comfort. PHOTO| FILE| NATION MEDIA GROUP

Kenya registered the second-highest newborn deaths in East Africa in 2016.

Kenya came only before South Sudan, where for every 1,000 babies born in 2016, 38 died before the end of the first month. In Kenya, for every 1,000 babies, 22 died.

Rwanda was ranked best in East Africa, and was the only country in the region among the top 10 nations with the lowest newborn deaths.

From a high of 41 deaths per 1,000 births in 1990, Rwanda has cut that number by more than half to 16 deaths per 1,000 births in 2016.

Rwanda’s success has been attributed to political will and investments in strong health systems that prioritise babies born in the poorest and most marginalised areas.

Uganda was second best in East Africa with 21 deaths followed by Tanzania, with 21.7 newborn deaths.

Out of the 10 countries with the highest newborn mortality rates globally, eight are in sub-Saharan Africa, while two are in South Asia.

The worst countries for newborns were mostly fragile states where crises such as conflict, natural disasters, instability and poor governance have impaired health systems hence hampering the ability of policymakers to formulate and implement policies that promote newborn survival.

In a report titled Every Child Alive, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) urged scaled up action focusing on the poorest and most marginalised to bring down the deaths.

“This will be critical for success in global efforts to end preventable newborn mortality,” the organisation said.

According to the report, newborn deaths were primarily caused by prematurity, complications at birth and infections such as sepsis, meningitis and pneumonia.

The secondary cause of deaths was lack of global focus on the challenge of ending newborn mortality.

“More than 80 per cent of the newborns who died in 2016, died from preventable and treatable causes that often cannot be treated by a single drug or intervention. They require a system-wide approach,” the report noted.

The report also revealed that babies born to the poorest families are more than twice as likely to die during the newborn period as those babies born to mothers with no education face almost twice the risk of dying as babies born to mothers with at least secondary education.

“If we consider the root causes, these babies are not dying from medical causes such as prematurity or pneumonia. They are dying because their families are too poor or marginalised to access the care they need.”

HOPE AND LESSONS

The report noted that successful countries like Rwanda offer hope and lessons to other countries committed to keeping every child alive by increasing access to affordable healthcare and improving the quality of that care.

To achieve quality care and improve outcomes, the report proposes that doctors, nurses and midwives must have the training, resources and incentives to provide timely, effective and respectful treatment to every mother and child.

The report recommends strong cooperation among governments, businesses, healthcare providers, communities and families.

“These actors need to come together to demand and provide affordable, quality healthcare for every mother and baby, starting with the most vulnerable.”

UNICEF is also calling for universal health coverage, starting with four main pillars including functional health facilities with electricity and clean water, midwives and other health workers equipped with training and tools, life-saving drugs and equipment.

The care must start during pregnancy and continue during birth and the first days and weeks of life. A baby’s birth and the 28 days that follow are itsmost dangerous period of life. Almost half of all children under age five who died in 2016 were newborns.

“Take action, we believe that a future where every child is born to thrive is not only possible but necessary. Together with you, we will work to make this a reality. Sign the petition,” reads the report.