Team Blitz India
NEW DELHI: Every two seconds, a baby is born too soon. Every 40 seconds, one of those babies dies.
Almost half of all pre-term births (babies born before the 37th week of pregnancy) in 2020 happened in five countries — India, Pakistan, Nigeria, China and Ethiopia — according to a report released on May 9 by the United Nations (UN) agencies and partners.
Together they accounted for 45 per cent of babies born too soon around the world, exposing them to a high mortality risk. This indicates a “silent emergency” for children’s survival and health.
An estimated 13.4 million babies were born pre-term in 2020 with nearly one million dying from complications. This is equivalent to around one in 10 babies as per the report titled ‘Born too Soon: Decade of Action on Pre-term Birth”, put together by WHO, United Nations Children’s Fund and Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH) – the world’s largest alliance for women, children and adolescents.
The report includes updated estimates from WHO and UNICEF.
