Table 1 Changes for preterm birth since World Prematurity Day, 17 th November 2011
From: 15 million preterm births annually: what has changed this year?
Issue characteristics | |
|---|---|
Data | Cause of neonatal and child death estimates and trends, 2000–2010 (Global, regional and national)[1] |
- preterm birth now second leading cause of under-5 deaths, after pneumonia. | |
- deaths from preterm birth complications reducing slower than other major causes of child death. | |
Preterm birth prevalence estimates for 184 countries for 2010 and trends 1990–2010 for 65 countries[2] | |
- 14.9 million babies born preterm, > 60% in Africa and South Asia, highest rates in Africa. | |
- Rates increasing over last 21 years in all but 3 of the 65 countries with trend estimates. | |
Preterm prevention analysis for 39 high income countries showed limited potential for prevention with current interventions[6] | |
- Whilst rates appear to be recently leveling off in more than half of these 39 high-income countries, the largest national relative rate reductions so far are still under 5% | |
Even with full coverage of 5 complex interventions, preterm birth rates can be reduced by only about 5% | |
Visibility | Publications |
Born Too Soon[7] | |
The Lancet papers on preterm estimates, causes of death and prevention impact[1, 2, 6] | |
Media outreach | |
Major global media attention[8] | |
Social media increased | |
World Prematurity Day | |
Four organizations spearheaded first World Prematurity Day in 2011 | |
More than 60 organizations participated in World Prematurity Day 2012, with events planned on over 40 countries. | |
Ideas | |
Interventions | Global consensus of essential interventions for reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health including interventions for preterm birth.[9] |
Evidence reviews of preterm birth interventions[10] | |
Inclusion of antenatal steroids on the United Nations Commission on Life-Saving Commodities[11] | |
Implementation | Cost effective, high-impact solutions becoming more widely recognized, with more priority given to countries scaling up, eg Kangaroo Mother Care and antenatal corticosteroids. |
Research themes | Implementation research, especially for improved care of preterm babies. |
Discovery and development research, especially for prevention of preterm birth. | |
Actor power | |
Partnership | More than 50 organizations joined to produce Born Too Soon. |
Every Woman Every Child accountability system and 31 new commitments for preterm birth by global and local partners | |
Champions | Countries stepping forward as champions for preterm birth – eg Malawi, Uganda |
More global organisations paying attention to preterm birth | |
Professional organisations showing leadership eg letter from FIGO president to all country members | |