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- Africa and Asia contribute 65% of preterm births globally.
- The UN Population Fund is using mobile clinics to reach women in need of healthcare in conflict zones.
- There has been a call for political and societal will to change the face of maternal and new-born healthcare.
In Africa, as with other parts of the world since 2020, there has been a flatline in preterm birth rates due to the impact of conflict, climate change, and Covid-19.
According to a new report titled Gone Too Soon – which was released by UN agencies and partners at the four-day first biennial International Maternal Newborn Health Conference in Cape Town which ends on Thursday - an estimated 13.4 million babies were born preterm in 2020.
Almost a million of those died from preterm complications. This is equivalent to around one in 10 babies dying before 37 weeks of pregnancy worldwide.
The report noted an overwhelming majority of the deaths were located in low-income counties which are mostly in Africa and South Asia.
Together, these two regions account for more than 65% of preterm births globally.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said:
There is a "dramatic" disparity in chances of survival depending on where one was born.
The report stated, "more than 90% of extremely preterm babies [less than 28 weeks] born in low-income countries die within the first few days of life, yet less than 10% of extremely preterm babies die in high-income settings".
Solution
According to the WHO, preventing deaths and complications of preterm birth should begin with a healthy pregnancy.
WHO prenatal care guidelines include important measures to prevent preterm birth. Measures include counselling on healthy eating, optimal nutrition and tobacco and drug use, foetal measurements - including early ultrasounds to determine gestational age and detect multiple pregnancies - and at least eight contacts with health care professionals throughout pregnancy. These consultations should begin before 12 weeks to identify and treat risk factors such as infections.
But in some parts of Africa where there is conflict and migration such as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), northern Ethiopia, Chad and other conflict-endemic areas, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) has come up with mobile clinics.
In an interview with News24, UNFPA regional director for South and East Africa Lydia Zigomo said mobile clinics were a game changer.
She added:
At the end of March, according to a UNFPA report, more than 100 000 pregnant women were counted in North Kivu province in the DRC, and concern for their well-being grew as violence escalated and access to health centres was dangerously compromised.
Beyond conflict countries, Zigomo said there was a great need for political will and a mindset shift in communities.
"There's a worrying trend of teenage pregnancies and that should be dealt with at the political level through legislation that helps to keep the girl child in school.
"Also, economic policies are gender friendly because at times these girls sleep with adults because that's the only option they have for the next meal for the family.
She added:
At the launch of the report, one of the co-authors, Dr Nahya Salim from Tanzania, said a parent and community-led or based approach could help improve Africa's situation.
"I am proud to see my government now investing and committed to implementation across even rural areas. The next decade can and must be different for those facing preterm birth here and everywhere," she added.
In 2021, due to idleness and economic woes during the Covid-19 global shutdown, at least 4 959 girls fell pregnant, and 1 174 cases of child marriages were recorded in less than three months in Zimbabwe.
The News24 Africa Desk is supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation. The stories produced through the Africa Desk and the opinions and statements that may be contained herein do not reflect those of the Hanns Seidel Foundation.
