Every year, 15 million babies are born preterm; leading to over one million deaths. 75% of these deaths are preventable with simple cost-effective intervention.
Across the globe, preterm birth complications are the leading cause of mortality in children under five years old. It is estimated that over 15 million babies are born before 37 weeks of gestation and of those, up to one million die. Shockingly, 75% of those deaths could be prevented by cost-effective interventions.
Unfortunately, the rate of premature births is rising and in low-income countries over half of those babies born two months early die simply from lack of access to essential healthcare.
In contrast, in high-income countries nearly every baby survives.
In many countries, hospitals do not have the relevant trained doctors or equipment such as incubators. Those that did are forced to share a single incubator amongst three or four premature babies. An incubator is a vital tool in helping preterm babies survive by providing them with a warm and safe environment with in which they can healthy grow.