WHAT WILL IT TAKE IN REALITY FOR POOR COUNTRIES TO REDUCE NEONATAL DEATHS?
The third paper in the series highlights how there is no “one-size-fits-all” solution for countries. The numbers and causes of neonatal deaths, the capacity of the health system, and the obstacles faced, all differ markedly between and within countries as do support from policymakers and the availability of resources. A shortage of skilled staff is the biggest problem facing the scaling up of clinical care in high mortality settings. Many countries train insufficient numbers of health care providers and have difficulty in retaining staff, especially in poor rural areas. In countries with low coverage of skilled clinical care for maternal and child health, the staff, infrastructure and support needed to achieve universal coverage are attainable with major investments. However, the authors suggest that outreach campaigns such as one for neonatal tetanus and simple home care of small babies, or community management of pneumonia with oral antibiotics, might be the most feasible option in t
