New Report Showcases Private Sector Investments in Reducing Newborn Mortality

GBCHealth and the MDG Health Alliance have released the first-of-its-kind report profiling 48 companies and industry associations investing in saving newborn lives. The report, titled The Ultimate Investment: Profiles of Corporate Engagement in the Health and Development of Newborns, catalogs corporate investments that are reducing newborn mortality and morbidity in over 70 low-resource settings around the world.

The 2014 UNICEF Progress Report estimates 2.6 million babies are stillborn and a further 2.8 million do not survive the first four weeks. Despite a 40%  decline in deaths since 1990, we maintain a slow progress in reducing newborn deaths–a major barrier to achieving Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 4, which calls for a 66%  reduction in under-five child deaths by 2015. Success in the MDGs, and the upcoming Sustainable Development Goals, cannot be achieved without strong private sector engagement.

Driven by the Every Newborn Action Plan, adopted by the World Health Organization in May 2014, this report allows companies to view current engagement in newborn health and provide opportunities for greater investment. The combination of corporate contributions, core competencies and specialized resources has and will continue to make a difference in the achievement of internationally acknowledged health targets.