This page is background information, last updated in May 2002 and still available for reference. For the latest on the Special Session on Children, please go to the Special Session index.

Healthy-Mothers - Healthy Babies

The situation of newborn health worldwide is appalling, with 40% of under five deaths occurring in the first 28 days of life. Maternal and newborn health are inextricably linked, and thus we must look at the inseparable mother-child dyad. Cost effective, proven solutions exist. What is needed is the political will for action.

May 8, 2002, 1.15 p.m. to 2.45 p.m. Dag Hammarskjold Auditorium

Moderators:

Dr Tomris Turmen, Executive Director, Family and Community Health Cluster, WHO
Anne Tinker, Director, Saving Newborn Lives, Save the Children

Opening Remarks:

Mark Malloch Brown, Administrator, UNDP
Virginia Quiroga, First Lady, Bolivia

Panelists:

Vinod Paul, WHO Collaborating Center for Training and Research in Newborn Care, India
Doyin Oluwole, WHO, Zimbabwe
Nabeela Ali, SNL, Save the Children Pakistan
Miriam Labbok, Senior Adviser, Infant and Young Child Feeding and Care, UNICEF
Janet Museveni, First Lady, Uganda

Closing Remarks:

Dr Zilda Arns Neumann, Executive Director, Pastorale Crianca, Brazil
Dr Tomris Turmen, Executive Director, Family and Community Health Cluster, WHO

The situation of newborn health worldwide is appalling, with 40% of under five deaths occurring in the first 28 days of life. Maternal and newborn health are inextricably linked, and thus we must look at the inseparable mother-child dyad. This often falls between the cracks in existing public health programmes, and there is thus a need to integrate newborn care at the policy, service delivery and individual/family community levels. A lack of emergency obstetric care services, skilled birth attendants and non-functioning referral health systems are major constraints. Cost effective, proven solutions exist. For example, exclusive breastfeeding reduces the risk of infant morbidity and mortality and contributes to birth spacing. Longer birth spacing results in reduced malnutrition and decreased maternal death. There have been successes in some countries in reducing neonatal tetanus. Communication and social mobilisation play an important role in building consensus and commitment of policy makers and implementers. Consultation with partners, and careful planning of a communication strategy, materials and an implementation plan are also vital, to be followed by monitoring, review and re-planning. Partnership is the key to success. What is needed is the political will for action.