Source: IPS News
Every year, three million newborn babies and almost 6.6 million children under five die globally, but if the rest of the world looked towards the examples of two of Africa's least-developed countries (LDCs), Rwanda and Ethiopia, they would perhaps be able to save these children.
At the 2014 Partners' Forum being held in Johannesburg, South Africa from Jun. 30 to Jul. 2 – hosted by the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH), the South African government and other partners - significant commitments in finance, service delivery and policy were announced that could put an end to these deaths. In total, there were 40 commitments from stakeholders, governments and the private sector who are committed to ending child and maternal mortality were revealed at the forum today.
It was noted that while remarkable progress has been made in reducing maternal and child mortality rates globally, over the last two decades the reduction in the rates of newborn deaths has lagged behind considerably.
However, Rwanda and Ethiopia were among 10 countries across the globe listed as having made significant progress in reducing child and maternal mortality rates, according to a new global action plan launched at the forum.
The Every Newborn Action Plan (ENAP) provides evidence on the effective interventions needed to end preventable stillbirths and newborn deaths. It also outlines a strategy to prevent 2,9 million newborn deaths and 2,6 million stillbirths annually.
These countries invested in high-impact health interventions, including immunisation, family planning, education and good governance.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Ethiopian Minister of Foreign Affairs, told IPS that multi-sectoral investments, and not just direct investments in the health sector, would help reduce maternal and child mortality.
"If we don't invest in agriculture, water and sanitation as well as the health sector then any gains we make in reducing child and maternal mortality will be futile.
"Community-based health care workers helped reduced Ethiopia's mortality rates for mothers and children."
According to the ENAP, newborn deaths account for 44 percent of all under five deaths worldwide, and investments in quality care at birth could save the lives of three million women and children each year.
"Now is the time to focus on action and implementation, to ensure more lives are saved," said Graça Machel, co-chair of the PMNCH.
"Other countries have made progress and others have not, we need to learn from them, so we keep momentum."
Accompanying the launch of the ENAP, was the launch of Countdown to 2015 report titled "Fulfilling the Health Agenda for Women and Children", which serves as a scorecard of gains made in maternal and child health.
According to the report, which studied the progress of 75 countries in child and maternal mortality efforts, substantial inequities still persist.
"The theme of the Countdown report is 'unfinished business,'" said Machel. "Too many women and children are dying when simple treatment exists."
Over 71 percent of newborn deaths could be avoided without intensive care, and are usually a result of three preventable conditions; prematurity, birth complications and severe infections.
Dr. Mariame Sylla, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) regional health specialist, told IPS that countries needed to learn from one another.
"Community-based approaches, where governments bring health services to the people and people to the services, have shown to be effective," she told IPS.
"Monitoring of results is also very important to ensure accountability in the health sector."
Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi, South Africa's Minister of Health, said "having professional midwives would also help new mothers understand motherhood better and help reduce mortality rates among women and children."
However, Ethiopia's Minister of Foreign Affairs pointed out that "these efforts are are simple but often hard to deliver."
"Least-developed countries like Ethiopia were able to make strides in curbing child and maternal mortality through their political will," Dr. Janet Kayita, health specialist for maternal, newborn and child health for UNICEF, told IPS.
But she pointed out that "Ethiopia's key to success, was not just about the leadership making the decision to reduce child and maternal mortality rates, but also organising at community level."
"Ethiopia is one of the few LDC's to institutionalise quality improvement in the health sector, using the mechanism of rewarding good quality health services and holding accountable those not performing."