This year, the theme is “safe care for every newborn and every child”, with the slogan “patient safety from the start!”, recognizing the vulnerability of this age group to risks. Death in the first month of life, which is mostly preventable, represents 47 per cent of total deaths among children under 5 in 2022. The others relate to maternal, child and adolescent health.
A newborn infant, or neonate, refers to a baby in the first 28 days of life, a period marked by the highest risk of morbidity and mortality. This publication on who recommendations related to newborn health is one of four in a series; Enhancing neonatal survival and health.
The world health organization in collaboration with partners around the world has developed a second edition of the essential newborn care course. Babies have the right to be protected from injury and infection, to breathe. To ensure every child survives and thrives to reach their full potential, we must focus on improving care around the time of birth and the first week of life.