World Prematurity Day is a key moment to focus global attention on the leading cause of child deaths under age 5 – complications from preterm birth – which account for over 1 million deaths each year (UNICEF). Without a major push to reduce these deaths, we will not reach the Global Goal, endorsed by 193 countries, to end all preventable newborn and child deaths by 2030. Efforts for World Prematurity Day support the implementation of the Every Woman Every Child Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health.While World Prematurity Day is an opportunity to call attention to the heavy burden of death and disability and the pain and suffering that preterm birth causes, it is also a chance to talk about solutions. The multitude of events organized around the globe on World Prematurity Day remains the heart of the effort. Each year, an increasing number of countries have observed World Prematurity Day by organizing national and local events, including public art installations, parliamentary hearings, health professional meetings, and marches.World Prematurity Day supports the values and goals of the Every Newborn Action Plan – an initiative of the Every Woman, Every Child movement – which mobilizes global multi-sectoral support to save the lives and improve the wellbeing of mothers and their babies.Simple things you can do to support World Prematurity Day
- Add your voice and sign-up to automatically post a message of support and awareness of prematurity through your social media community on World Prematurity Day.
- Change your profile picture by adding a World Prematurity Day profile picture on Facebook and Twitter, helping to raise awareness without saying a word.
- Go purple! by wearing purple, lighting your home or office purple or coming up with your own ways to turn the world purple in support of prematurity awareness. Share on social media with #worldprematurityday.
- Access materials for promotion including the press kit, fact sheets, country data, infographics, social media images, print ads, and customizable templates.
- Take the Kangaroo Mother Care Challenge and post photos on social using #KMCchallenge
- Tell us what you did by completing this simple SurveyMonkey form
- Post in social media leading up to and on World Prematurity Day using #worldprematurityday
This blog first appeared on the Healthy Newborn Network