Maternal, Newborn, Child Health Continuum

Dedaur village, India
Dedaur village, India

With access to a range of contraceptives and information about birth spacing, women like Sharmila Devi are able to raise healthier families.

Globally, more women survive pregnancy and childbirth and more children survive their early years than ever before. In fact, annual deaths of women in pregnancy and childbirth and the number of children under-five dying has fallen nearly 50 percent in the past two decades.

This progress, while remarkable, is marred by a lack of progress on newborn health. Newborn deaths now account for a growing proportion—nearly half—of all under-five deaths worldwide. Each year, 2.9 million newborns die in their first month after birth, and one million within their first day.



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Dedaur village, India Dakar, Senegal Dhaka, Bangladesh Nairobi, Kenya Lilongwe, Malawi Nairobi, Kenya Lilongwe, Malawi Dakar, Senegal Accra, Ghana Accra, Ghana Bihar, India Nairobi, Kenya Lilongwe, Malawi Lilongwe, Malawi Katsina, Nigeria Lilongwe, Malawi Rupandehi, Nepal Kitui District, Kenya Kitui District, Kenya Nakaseke District, Uganda Roti Mushahari, India Dakar, Senegal Talle, Niger Agordiebe, Ghana Phnom Dambang village, Cambodia

Thankfully, proven, cost-effective solutions are already available that can turn the tide for newborns. Many of these solutions also improve the health of women and children, who still die needlessly from preventable and treatable causes. For example we know that resuscitation, clean umbilical cord care, immediate and exclusive breastfeeding, skin-to-skin contact with the mother, and increased access to family planning, among others simple interventions, improve overall health outcomes.

The health and wellbeing of women, newborns, and children are closely linked and help build prosperous communities and nations. The gains we have made for women and children demonstrate that when there is will around proven interventions, progress follows. Political will and commitment around women and children – and especially newborns – is urgently needed.