Mama Ye Factsheet on Newborns in Tanzania 2014

To mark World Prematurity Day on 17 November 2014 Mama Ye have produced this Factsheet on Newborns in Tanzania. It summarise the latest evidence on newborn deaths in Tanzania and interventions to prevent it.When a baby is born alive, but dies before one month (sometimes classified as 28 days) of life it is called a newborn death or neonatal death. More than 80% of all newborn deaths result from three preventable and treatable conditions:

• Complications due to prematurity
• Neonatal infections, such as sepsis
• Complications from delivery, including birth asphyxia

These lives could be saved with quality care around birth, cost-effective available drugs and simple interventions.Newborn Deaths are a Public Health Crisis in TanzaniaEach year in Tanzania approximately 39,000 babies die before they reach one month of age, making Tanzania the country with the eleventh highest number of newborn deaths globally. The period of time around birth is critical. Over a third of newborn deaths occur on the day that they are born, and 73% die in the first week. Every year this amounts to 13,900 Tanzanian newborns dying on their first day, and 28,200 deaths in the first week of life.Of the 39,000 newborn deaths in Tanzania, 11,900 (31%) die from complications from delivery, 9,400 (24%) die from preterm birth complications, and 7,800 (20%) die from infections such as sepsis or meningitis. In addition, a further 22,000 stillbirths happen at the time of delivery. These deaths indicate Tanzania’s urgent need for universal access to skilled birth attendance and better quality of care around delivery.While Tanzania has made remarkable progress in addressing overall child mortality - already achieving the Millennium Development Goal target for reducing child deaths – however progress for newborn survival has been much slower: newborn deaths now account for over 40% of all child mortality.What can be done in Tanzania? Ending preventable newborn deaths requires investing in and strengthening health services and obstetric and newborn care, as well as ensuring there are skilled and equipped health workers to assist with every delivery including:

• Investing in the quality of care around delivery, and postnatal care
• Special care for small and sick babies; newborn resuscitation with newborn-sized bag and mask, antibiotics, hygienic cord care, and mother-to-newborn skin-to-skin contact
• Reducing inequities - every delivery should take place with a skilled and equipped health worker
• Encourage family planning for healthy birth spacing of at least two years to reduce the risk of death, prematurity, and poor health outcomes for babies and mothers
• Encouraging early initiation and exclusive breastfeeding

• Improving sanitation and hygiene in facilities, and ensure availability of essential drugs and ntravenous antibiotics to reduce newborn deaths from sepsis and other infections

In 2014 Tanzania committed to the Every Newborn Action Plan  and the Sharpened One Plan. These strategies set out the priority solutions, and call for a united effort to dramatically reduce maternal and newborn deaths, and preventable stillbirths. We must prioritise the evidence-based, cost-effective and feasible solutions in all health facilities that provide pregnancy and delivery services, as well as ensure better data collection on pregnancy outcomes to enable responsive action where it is most needed.Learn about preterm birth and take action!To view the factsheet in English, click here.To view the factsheet in Swahili, click here.Evidence for Action. (2014). Mama Ye Factsheet on Newborns in Tanzania 2014. London: Evidence for Action.