87% of neonatal deaths in Bangladesh are from three highly preventable causes and they are severe infections (36%, which includes sepsis/pneumonia, tetanus and diarrhea), complications of preterm birth (28%), and birth asphyxia (23%). Every year 62,000 newborn die within 28 days of life; that means every day 170 and every hour 7 newborn die in Bangladesh. We can save around 55,000 newborns each year by simple low cost interventions at health facility and household levels.
Half of the neonatal mortality happens within day one of the life, thus early interventions are necessary to avert these deaths.
Eighty-eight per cent of the leading causes of newborn deaths are largely preventable.
Care during labor, delivery and the first week of life have the greatest impact on ending preventable neonatal deaths and stillbirths. Special care for small and sick newborn is also highly essential for saving lives.
To keep every child alive, we can provide the ‘newborn bundle’, which contains four essential elements.
People, meaning health workers with adequate skills for maternal and newborn care, available round the clock.
Place, meaning facilities that are clean and safe for giving birth.
Products, meaning Special Care Newborn units with life-saving equipment and commodities.
Power, meaning communities that are empowered to take the right action for newborns and mothers.
Universal coverage of such high-quality interventions can save over 55,000 newborn lives, prevent over 5,000 maternal deaths and prevent over 80,000 stillbirths every year.
In 2013, the Bangladesh government pledged to end preventable child deaths by 2035 under the international initiative on child survival — A Promise Renewed.
It has since renewed its commitment by developing the Bangladesh Every Newborn Action Plan and is implementing the plan through the National Newborn Health Program.