Pune: A baby is born prematurely every two seconds. One of those newborns passes away every 40 seconds. According to a new analysis released by the United Nations (UN) agencies and partners on Tuesday, five countries—India, Pakistan, Nigeria, China, and Ethiopia—will account for over half of all pre-term births (children born before the 37th week of pregnancy) in 2020. They collectively made up 45% of premature babies worldwide, placing them at a high mortality risk. This suggests a “silent emergency” for the wellbeing and survival of children.
Preterm births continue to pose a global health challenge
2020 saw an expected 13.4 million preterm births, with close to a million complications-related deaths. According to the “Born Too Soon, Decade of Action on Pre-term Birth” report created by the WHO, United Nations Children’s Fund, and Partnership for Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (PMNCH), the largest coalition for women, children, and adolescents in the world, this equates to about one in ten babies.
Top 5 countries with the highest preterm births
The anticipated rate of preterm births in 2020 was 16.2% in Bangladesh, followed by 14.5% in Malawi and 14.4% in Pakistan. India and South Africa were two of the top five nations with the highest preterm birth rates, with an estimated 13% apiece. The total number of preterm births among the five nations is worrying, with India leading the way with 30.16 lakh births, followed by Pakistan with 9.14 lakh, Nigeria with 7.74 lakh, and China with 7.52 lakh. Updated estimates from WHO and UNICEF are included in the report. The government has established numerous Speciality Newborn Care Units (SNCUs) throughout the nation and has launched numerous schemes, including the Rashtriya Bal Suraksha Karyakram and the India Newborn Action Plan.
Geographical distribution of preterm births in India
In terms of how preterm births in India are distributed geographically, a report published on June 28 of last year in PloS-Global Public Health revealed that West Bengal reported 16% of such births, Tamil Nadu reported 14%, and Gujarat recorded 9%. Overall, the analysis concludes that there has been no global change in preterm birth rates over the past few decades. In 2020, there were 9.9 percent more preterm births than there were in 2010, which was 9.8 percent.
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