Babies born in countries with poverty, conflict or weak institutions are dying needlessly because of a lack of basic care, a report found. As many as 80 percent of newborn deaths were said to be preventable.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/A. Weda
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The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) released a report on Tuesday warning about the "alarming" risks posed to newborns in the world's poorest and most conflict-wracked countries.
UNICEF's report concluded that risks could be 50 times as high as those in the richest countries.
UNICEF: Global deaths of newborn babies remain alarmingly high
- 2.6 million newborns around the world died after their first month of life, with seven thousand newborns dying every day.
- The countries with the greatest chance of newborn survival were Japan, Iceland, Finland, Singapore, Estonia, Slovenia, Cyprus, Belarus, Luxembourg, Norway and South Korea.
- The countries with the least chance of newborn survival were Pakistan, Central African Republic, Somalia, Lesotho, Guinea-Bissau, South Sudan, Cote d'Ivoire, Mali, and Chad.
- A baby born in Pakistan faced a one in 22 chance of death, while a newborn in Japan had only a one in 1,111 risk of dying.
The study showed that while the last quarter-century has seen broad improvements in children's health, similar progress had not been made in reducing deaths among newborns.
Newborn mortality "preventable"
According to the report, more than 80 percent of newborn deaths can be prevented "with access to well-trained midwives, along with proven solutions like clean water, disinfectants, breastfeeding within the first hour, skin-to-skin contact and good nutrition."
The report pointed out that newborns were not dying from medical causes, but due to availability and access to care. Poverty, conflict, or weak institutions affected access to maternal and newborn health in most countries that showed the worst results.
"Just a few small steps from all of us can help ensure the first small steps of each of these young lives," she added.
Although babies born in richer countries generally had a better chance of survival, there were differences within countries. Babies born to the poorest families were 40 percent more likely to die than those born to the most affluent.
The United States, an affluent nation, with a higher income inequality and gaps in access to health care, was not ranked within the top 10 safest countries for newborns, instead landing at 41st.
The report explained that that "political will to invest in strong health systems... is critical" to solve the problem.
The UNICEF report was published as part of the organization's new global campaign Every Child Alive, an initiative that promotes "affordable, quality health care solutions for every mother and newborn" worldwide.
Rwanda was an example of how low-income countries can make dramatic improvements in newborn mortality. The African nation more than halved its newborn mortality rate from 1990 to 2016.
Why millions of kids face a bleak future
Some 180 million children worldwide are more likely to live in extreme poverty, be deprived of basic education or suffer a violent death than their parents, according to a 2017 UNICEF report. DW takes a look.
Image: picture-alliance/AA/E. Sansar
Children in 37 countries left behind
UNICEF's analysis focused on children's chances of escaping extreme poverty, getting a basic education and avoiding a violent death. It showed that 37 countries have seen a clear decline in at least one of those areas in the past two decades. The main causes? Unrest, conflicts, financial crises and poor governance.
Image: picture-alliance/NurPhoto/M. Moskwa
Not in my parents' footsteps
There have been major efforts to improve child welfare around the world over the past two decades. But despite progress, millions of children still face massive challenges caused by factors outside of their control. According to a 2017 UNICEF report, one in 12 of the world's 2.2 billion children has far bleaker prospects today than the previous generation did 20 years ago.
Image: picture-alliance/AA/E. Sansar
Consequences of conflict
According to UNICEF, the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen — all countries experiencing major conflict — have seen a decline across more than one of the three areas measured. The most dramatic change, however, was recorded in the world's newest nation, South Sudan.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Y. Arhab
South Sudan
South Sudan was the only country where children fared worse in all three categories than previous generations. After gaining independence in 2011, the country has been plagued by civil war and famine. Four-year-old Adeng Macher, pictured above, is one of an estimated 2 million people who are near starvation.
Image: picture-alliance/ZUMA Wire/M. Juarez Lugo
Growing up with war
Violent deaths among children below the age of 19 have increased in seven countries: Central African Republic, Iraq, Libya, South Sudan, Syria, Ukraine and Yemen. Above, armed Yemeni children ride in the back of a truck with soldiers loyal to President Hadi. The UN says hundreds of children have been killed in the country since 2015, while more than 1,000 have been recruited as child soldiers.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/S. Al-Obeidi
Surviving on under $1.90 a day
The share of people living on less than $1.90 (85 euro cents) a day has increased in 14 countries, including Benin, Cameroon, Madagascar, Zambia and Zimbabwe. According to the UN, around 19 percent of the world's children live in extreme poverty.
Image: STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN/AFP/Getty Images
A chance in the classroom
The number of children getting a primary school education has dropped in 21 countries, including Syria, Bolivia, Jordan and Tanzania. The problem is most acute in West and Central Africa. Above, students take part in an English class in Bentiu, South Sudan, in 2011. Violence in the country has forced a quarter of schools to shut down, preventing an estimated 2 million kids from attending class.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/R.Schmidt
World Children's Day
UNICEF's report was released on World Children's Day, which celebrates the anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child on November 20, 1989.
