New Delhi, Mar 5 (PTI) The World Health Organization on Tuesday launched an implementation guidance in its South-East Asia region for universal screening of newborns for hearing impairment, eye abnormalities and neonatal jaundice to help prevent disabilities.
The regional implementation guidance will facilitate capacity-building for newborn or neonatal screening that aims at pre-symptomatic detection, shortly after birth, of serious treatable conditions, said Saima Wazed, the South-East Asia regional director of the World Health Organization (WHO).
“Backed by referral, diagnosis, management and follow-up for appropriate treatment, these screenings will enable prevention of long-term disability or premature death,” she said during the release of the guidance at a regional webinar on birth defects.
The guidance incorporates simple tests with non-invasive tools that can be integrated within the existing health systems.
These screenings should be done prior to discharge after a health-facility birth or at the first postnatal care contact in an outpatient setting after a home birth, according to the guidance.
“Focusing on improving care around the time of birth and the first week of life is important to ensure every child survives and thrives to reach their full potential,” Wazed said.
The guidance has been developed through a consultative process with technical experts from member countries of the region.
Wazed said persistent collaborative efforts over the years has led to the South-East Asia region witnessing a 45 per cent decline in under-five mortality between 2010 and 2021 — the steepest among all WHO regions and against the global reduction of 26 per cent.
However, the contribution of birth defects to under-five mortality in the region has increased from 4 per cent to 11 per cent during the past two decades (2000 to 2021) as countries successfully addressed other major causes of death.
“Our region is committed to achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal targets for maternal, newborn and child mortality,” Wazed said.
“I urge all our member states and stakeholders to adopt, internalise and use the implementation guidance for introducing and conducting these three screening tests for all newborns before hospital discharge, including appropriate management of babies,” she added. PTI PLB SZM
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