London, March 3 (Reuters): Four million newborn babies die every year in the world but three-quarters of them could be easily saved, researchers said today.

Two-thirds of the deaths occur in India, China, Pakistan, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Indonesia, Afghanistan and Tanzania.

Most of the deaths occur in 10 countries in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa and are caused by infections, prematurity and breathing problems related to birth complications. ?If you look across 23 nations of western Europe there are 4 million births every year,? said Richard Horton, editor of The Lancet medical journal. ?So the annual global neonatal mortality is equivalent to all newly born babies in western Europe being entirely wiped out,? he added. ?That equals 10,000-11,000 deaths per day, 450 deaths per hour and seven neonatal deaths per minute, up to three-quarters of which are entirely unnecessary and preventable,? he said.

In a series of reports on newborn deaths in the journal, scientists and health experts show where and why the deaths are occurring, how they can be prevented and how much it will cost. They estimate an extra $4.1 billion per year, on top of the current spending of $2 billion, will be needed to provide simple health treatment for 90 per cent of people at risk in 75 countries with the highest mortality rates. Most newborns who die do so in the first week of life. Most have been born at home.

?The plight of newborns is not just a medical issue, it is also a moral barometer of our times, a measure of our values and our feelings for others,? said Horton. To prevent infant deaths, healthcare systems need to be strengthened.