Every Newborn: From evidence to action to deliver a healthy start for the next generation

This article is the fifth in the Lancet Every Newborn Series of five papers about newborn health.Despite significant progress in reducing maternal and under-five deaths, more progress is needed. Stillbirths and newborn deaths have mostly been overlooked in the Millennium Development targets and as a result have seen a less significant reduction than other  maternal and child mortality rates.According to this series and the Every Newborn Action Plan, the new goal for newborn mortality should be fewer than 10 deaths per 1,000 live births and the goal for stillbirths should be fewer than 10 deaths per 1,000 births by 2035.To achieve these objectives and generate political will around this issue, these targets must be included in the post-2015 framework.Lessons-learnt from past interventions indicate that the following areas need prioritisation:1-   Increased political attention and leadership2-  Mobilised communities and parents to hold decision- makers to account for quality of care and newborn health outcomes. Social norms that accept these deaths as inevitable to be challenged3-   Increased and harmonised funding to build sustainable health systems and prioritise interventions with the highest effect on mortality outcome and which reach the poorest groups4-    Increased health worker numbers and skills with attention to quality5-   Evaluation mechanisms tracking coverage of priority interventions and packages of care, with clear accountability systems to accelerate progress and reach the poorest groupsTo read this article click here. Free registration is required.To read other articles in the Every Newborn Series click here.Mason, E.,  McDougall, L., Lawn, J.E.,  Gupta, A.,  Mariam Claeson, M.,  Pillay, Y, Presern, C.,   Baye Lukong, M.,   Mann, G.,  Wijnroks, M.,  Azad, K., Taylor, K.,  Beattie, A.,   Bhutta, Z. A.,  & Chopra, M., for The Lancet Every Newborn Study Group on behalf of the Every Newborn Steering Committee. (2014). From evidence to action to deliver a healthy start for the next generation. Every Newborn Series. The Lancet, published online 20 May.