Millions of Maternal and Child Lives Could Be Saved Every Year for Less Than $5 a Person

by ParentCo. April 11, 2016

By spending less than $5 per person on essential health care services such as contraception, medication for serious illnesses and nutritional supplements, millions of maternal and child lives could be saved every year, according to a new analysis led by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Improving care at the time of birth gives a quadruple return on investment.

By spending less than $5 per person on essential health care services such as contraception, medication for serious illnesses and nutritional supplements, millions of maternal and child lives could be saved every year, according to a new analysis led by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The findings, published April 9 in The Lancet, suggest it is possible to save many lives by broadly expanding basic services in the 74 low- and middle-income countries where more than 95 percent of the world’s maternal and child deaths occur annually. “Many of these deaths could be prevented if high-impact and affordable solutions reached the populations that needed them most,” says study leader Robert Black, PhD, a professor in the Department of International Health at the Bloomberg School. “Our analysis shows that expanding access to care to keep more mothers and children alive and healthy is feasible and a highly cost-effective investment.” Interventions ranged from improving pregnancy and delivery care, to treating life-threatening infectious diseases like pneumonia, diarrhea, and malaria, and better childhood nutrition. These services, they found, could prevent 1.5 million newborn deaths, 1.5 million child deaths, and 149,000 maternal deaths — equivalent to half of all maternal, newborn and child deaths annually. They could also prevent 849,000 stillbirths, or more than a third of all annual stillbirths. Original source: Newswise


ParentCo.

Author



Also in Conversations

family time outside
The Art of Staying in Love While Managing Motherhood

by Breanna Howell

Balancing being a mom and a wife is an art. Instead of falling into a rut when life gets in the way, you and your partner can find ways to stay connected and in love.

Continue Reading

mother touching noses with her young son
3 Ways to Reclaim and Re-Energize Your Home After a Divorce

by ParentCo.

With a little ingenuity and creativity, a new house – or even an old house – can feel like a home again. Here's how to reclaim your space and start fresh.

Continue Reading

kid playing with water
3 Simple Ways Water Can Calm Your Children

by ParentCo.

As one of our most important natural resources, water provides so many benefits including improving our health and happiness.

Continue Reading