Yesterday was the opening session of the first Global Newborn Health Conference at the UN. The four-day conference is a new effort to work towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals in the last few years before the deadline in 2015.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=44662&Cr=maternal&Cr1=#.UWyQcxlAups
Representatives from 50 countries are participating to address the three major causes of newborn mortality: prematurity, birth asphyxia and infection. These three causes can be prevented with simple interventions such as low cost medicines, equipment, and health strategies.
It is hoped that as a result of the conference there will be stronger push to implementing interventions in countries that need it the most, in the run0-up to 2015.
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