News

New research on the effectiveness of chlorhexidine cord care for the prevention of infection and neonatal mortality were published online in The Lancet today. http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2811%2961877-1/fulltext

USAID, the Government of Norway, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Grand Challenges Canada, and The World Bank have announced a second round of request for applications for innovative prevention and treatment approaches for pregnant women and newborns in low-resource settings. Applications are due by March 29, 2012.

Sixteen non-governmental organizations have joined together to champion the frontline health worker, often the first and only contact for health care in low-resource settings. For more information on this important cause, please visit: http://frontlinehealthworkers.org

Poor maternal, newborn and child health remains a significant problem in developing countries. Worldwide, 358 000 women die during pregnancy and childbirth every year and an estimated 7.6 million children die under the age of five. The majority of maternal deaths occur during or immediately after childbirth. The common medical causes for maternal death include bleeding, high blood pressure, prolonged and obstructed labour, infections and unsafe abortions. A child’s risk of dying is highest during the first 28 days of life when about 40% of under-five deaths take place, translating into three million deaths. Up to one half of all newborn deaths occur within the first 24 hours of life and 75% occur in the first week. Globally, the main causes of neonatal death are preterm birth, severe infections and asphyxia. Children in low-income countries are nearly 18 times more likely to die before the age of five than children in high-income countries. In this document, the WHO outlines review of the key interventions related to reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health.