What actions should be taken to improve maternal and newborn health outcomes globally?

By Perkin Elmer

A care pathway approach is a necessity to save the lives of mothers and babies globally. Why – because despite all the progress, every single day about 7,000 babies die in the first month of life. In 2019, an estimated 2.4 million newborns died worldwide. Globally over 800 women die each day from preventable causes of pregnancy or childbirth. This is unacceptable and we all need to discuss what we need to do to address this imbalance. Furthermore, we are in 2021 and we have less than 10 years to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Without concerted efforts to improve the survival rates of mothers and babies and also reduce the effects of disabling conditions related to pregnancy and newborns; we will continue to see ongoing preventable health challenges because the interventions were too late.