Newborn health: Everybody's business

Abstract

Despite advances in issue-attention and in evidence of what works to save newborn lives (e.g., kangaroo mother care, antenatal corticosteroids, immediate and exclusive breastfeeding), we are still falling short on impact. To advance the unfinished newborn survival agenda, newborns must become an integral priority in developing countries where the burden of neonatal mortality is highest. Interventions must be adapted to local contexts and cultures and integrated into packages along the continuum of care delivered through the primary health-care systems that countries have at their disposal.

Keywords:

• newborn health
• neonatal
• maternal health
• delivery
• systems
• primary health care

Acknowledgement

We thank Dr Emma Iriarte, director of the SM2015 Initiative, for her critical contributions to the description of the programme.