Over the past five years, the mortality rate of children under the age of five years in East Africa has reduced significantly, largely as a result of increased immunisation and reduction in the incidence of malaria, partly through the use of treated bed nets and partly because of climate change which has interfered with the breeding patterns of mosquitoes. However, Africa still has a high rate of deaths for babies during their first 28 days of life.
According to a new study released by the World Health Organization and Save The Children, it is estimated that there were 3.3 million neonatal deaths throughout the World in 2009, compared with 4.6 million in 1990. The estimates are based on statistical modelling because reliable data is unavailable for most countries. More than half of the neonatal deaths occurred in India, Nigeria, Pakistan, China and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In Africa, many health care facilities do not provide the most basic health care requirements for babies, including drying and wrapping the baby, tying and cutting the umbilical cord, and helping the mother start breast feeding. Infection control measures are frequently inadequate. Most neonatal deaths occur as a result of treatable infections, lack of breast feeding, unhygienic birth conditions, and breathing problems.