Mission to reduce newborn deaths in Africa advances with $65M

The Newborn Essential Solutions and Technologies (NEST360) alliance has launched phase 2 of its mission to reduce newborn mortality in sub-Saharan Africa with $65 million in funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, The ELMA Foundation and individual contributions.

Founded in 2017, the 10-year effort to save the lives of 500,000 African babies each year is aligned with the United Nations’ 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, specifically by limiting newborn deaths to no more than 12 per 1,000 live births by 2030.

Of the estimated 2.3 million newborns who die each year around the globe, African countries have the highest rates of mortality. African newborns have almost 10 times the risk of neonatal death compared to babies born in Europe or the U.S. Adequate medical care could ensure the survival of 75% of the estimated 1.1 million African newborns who die each year.

“NEST360 is an international alliance of clinical, biomedical, and public health experts from 22 institutions and organizations,” said co-founder Rebecca Richards-Kortum, Malcolm Gillis University Professor and professor of bioengineering at Rice. “Improving quality for small and sick newborn care in NEST360-implementing countries and beyond requires a systems-change approach that cuts across all levels of care.

“This includes addressing multiple clinical needs of the individual patient; ensuring the design, availability and maintenance of equipment and sufficient clinical and biomedical staff; and implementing policies to support overall care.”

This second five-year phase will build on the progress achieved in Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya and Nigeria from 2019 to 2023, where the alliance, in partnership with the countries’ governments, improved the quality of care for some 100,000 babies admitted each year to the 67 hospitals implementing NEST360.