OneWorld.net (U.S.)

(page 2 of 3)

Case Study on Newborns

According to Save the Children, which has a special program on Saving Newborn Lives, about four million babies die each year in the first month of life, most in Africa and South Asia. A series on neonatal survival by the British medical journal The Lancet claims that at least three million of these lives could be saved by low-cost, low-technology interventions that are not currently reaching those in need. For example, at least a quarter of a million babies could be saved annually, says The Lancet, if pregnant women were given two 20-cent injections to prevent neonatal tetanus.

“Most newborn deaths could be prevented,” adds Save the Children “if women had access to basic health care such as immunizations to protect expectant mothers and newborns against tetanus, skilled midwifery care during childbirth, timely and appropriate treatment of newborn infections, and proper attention to hygiene, warmth, and breastfeeding for new babies.” While these seem like simple solutions, one of the main problems is reaching new mothers in impoverished or remote parts of the world. Many lives can be saved when care is provided within the first week of life and especially when caregivers can detect infections early. The International Confederation of Midwives is working closely with the UN Population Fund to try and address the global shortage of midwives, particularly in underserved areas.

And as with other examples cited above, government support is crucial. Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Honduras, and Botswana all reduced neonatal mortality by about half in the 1990s due, in part, to political commitment at the highest levels to improving newborn care services. Easy access to family planning services is also high on the agenda of many groups working in public health. With between 20 and 40 percent of infant deaths directly linked to high-risk pregnancy, groups like the Center for Health and Gender Equity and the International Women’s Health Coalition advocate making information available to women so that they can make informed choices about their sexual and reproductive health before such crises occur.

Equal Opportunity Diseases

Cardiovascular diseases—like heart disease and stroke—are now the world’s #1 killers and take a heavy toll in both rich and poor countries alike (see “Taking the Global Pulse: Threats and Solutions”). Not surprisingly, cardiovascular diseases have increased in developing countries as traditional meals have increasingly been replaced with the largely unhealthy fast-food diets prevalent in the West. Costs for treating these diseases can also be prohibitive.

Access to low-cost drugs (like aspirin) can help those at risk, says the DCPP, but reducing smoking and changes in diet and lifestyle can also go a long way to curbing the prevalence of these diseases. Increasing one’s physical activity and the consumption of fruits and vegetables, while decreasing the intake of sodium and sugar-based beverages, are among simple solutions for warding off these killers. Promoting lifestyle changes can be difficult anywhere, but the DCPP cites the case of Finland, where a comprehensive program focused on diet and lifestyle modification managed to reduce the mortality rate by approximately 75 percent between 1972 and 1992.

As the above example demonstrates, when governments — in conjunction with an active civil society — implement national public education programs to prevent disease, it can make a big difference.

Determined action by the Ugandan government to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic, for example, was said to be a big factor in reducing its prevalence in that country. Many working on curbing AIDS—a disease which also has a big impact in the developed world—are optimistic about the development of microbicides. Although testing is still underway, this cream or gel that women can use before sexual intercourse may help prevent the spread of the disease—especially in societies where women have little or no power to say no to sex.

1 | 2 | 3 | NEXT PAGE