Education minister Brishen Patel (right) and other officials release the roadmap for newborns in Patna on Saturday. Picture by Ranjeet Kumar Dey

Patna, Nov. 22: Experts today underlined steps being taken to save newborn babies.

While releasing a vision document christened “Roadmap for improving newborn health in Bihar”, education minister Brishen Patel said: “If we take proper care of infants, 90 per cent of newborn babies can be prevented from death in the state.”

The roadmap was released on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of United Nations Child Rights Charter and National Newborn Week celebration. The programme was jointly organised by National Neonatology Forum (NNF), Indian Academy of Paediatrics, State Health Society, Bihar, State Institute of Health and Family Welfare (SIHFW) and Unicef, Bihar.

Speaking on the occasion, Brishen said the government’s first priority is to save the lives of infants and it is possible if a united effort is made towards the same. Quality health care is the right of every child, he added.

Bihar’s neo-natal mortality rate presently stands at 28 live births per thousand. The central government has targeted to bring down it to nine live births per thousand by 2030. Neo-natal mortality rate is the number of neonates dying before reaching 28 days of age, per 1,000 live births in a given year.

Dr Vikram Datta, the secretary of NNF, said: “Of total infant deaths occurring worldwide, India accounts for 27 per cent of deaths. Again, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh account for 50 per cent of neo-natal deaths in the country. Further statistics says that out of 2.6 crore children born every year in the country, 9.4 lakh infants die within one month. Bihar alone accounts for those 10 per cent deaths numbering 83,700 deaths per year.”

Stressing on the roadmap, Dr Datta said the roadmap, as a first step towards state newborn action plan, would act as a guiding principle in improving newborn care in the state. The roadmap includes strengthening of healthcare system in districts involving a two-pronged strategy — filling the vacant posts concerning health in districts and regular training of manpower to enhance their skills, Dr Datta said.

Dwelling on the reasons behind high neo-natal death rate in Bihar, Unicef specialist Dr Ghanshyam Sethi said around 80 per cent new born babies die in Bihar the day they are born. The three main reasons behind their deaths are pre-term birth, infection and asphyxia. This can be prevented by strengthening the health delivery system at block and district levels, he said.

Paediatrician Dr Utpal Kant Singh advocated for better management of critical condition for newborn babies to reduce the death rate.

National Neonatology Forum president Dr Shikhar Jain too spoke on the occasion.