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Toyin Saraki’s WBFA Leads Advocacy for WHO Every Newborn Action Plan (ENAP)

  • 2.9 million newborns die each year, accounting for 44% of all under-five deaths
  • The Wellbeing Foundation Africa is part of the Private Sector/Foundations Working Group of the Every Newborn Action Plan, to end preventable deaths of newborns especially in countries like Nigeria
  • Draft Every Newborn Plan reviewed at the 67th World Health Assembly (Geneva) on 21st May, 2014

To stimulate progress on improving newborn survival, and to further the objectives of ‘Every Newborn: an action plan to end preventable deaths’ (ENAP), which will be formally launched on 31st June 2014 in Johannesburg, the Wellbeing Foundation Africa on 16th May 2014, spearheaded an innovativesocial media rally in partnership with Save the Children, the Partnership‎ for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH), and the U.S.-based strategic communications firm, GMMB.

A leading frontline MNCH empowerment organization, the Wellbeing Foundation Africa—whose Founder-President Mrs. Toyin Saraki was recently honored by Save the Children and named National Newborn Health Champion for Nigeria, continues to drive renewed action on newborn survival in Nigeria through various advocacy platforms. Following the catalytic call to action for multilateral engagement to #bringbackourgirls, as a member of the Eminent Persons Group alongside others including Bill and Melinda Gates, Desmond Tutu and AlhajiAlikoDangote, the leadership of the Wellbeing Foundation Africa aims to stimulate international engagement, through advocacy and strategic communications, in support of the Every Newborn Action Plan, which will aid countries like Nigeria in drastically decreasing infant mortality rates through universal,proven interventions.

Co-hosts of the Foundation’s May 16th Twitter relay, which took place from 11am to 8pm, included Save the Children Nigeria (@savechildrenNG), MamaYe Nigeria (@mamayenigeria) and Not Again Campaign (@notagaincampaig). Other key participants included the Society for Family Health (@SFHNigeria), Association for Reproductive and Family Health (@ARFH_nig), Digital Media Development Initiatives (@DMDinitatives), Development Innovation (@devnovate), and the Targeted States High-Impact Project (@TSHIP_Nigeria).Hosted by a different organization every hour using the main hashtag #EveryNewborn‎, coupled with others including #SoWMY2014; #Nigeria; #WHA67; #Promise4Children; #newbornhealth; #maternalhealth; and #post2015, the social media rally reached out to many different audiences to promulgate ENAP’s strategic goals and objectives, and to celebrate the live-saving work of midwives and the wider impact on maternal, newborn, and child health, that improved policy implementation brings.

While progress has been made on improving under-five child deaths and maternal deaths across the board, progress on improving newborn survival has critically fallen below expectations. Newborn deaths now account for at least 44% of daily under-five child deaths, and if Nigeria is to meet Millennium Development Goal 4, the country must urgently accelerate action and interventions to save newborn lives.With an astounding 2.9 million newborns dying each year, and an additional 2.6 million stillborn births, the much anticipated Every Newborn Action Plan, convened by UNICEF and WHO, with the support of more than three dozen partner organizations, has outlined how to reduce at least two thirds of these deaths.  Through an in-depth consultative process, the Every Newborn effort has developed a draft action plan to take forward the Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health by focusing specific attention on newborn health, and identifying actions for improving the linkages between reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health (RMNCH).

Topics discussed during the Wellbeing Foundation Africa led Twitter chat on the Every Newborn Action Plan included:  The importance of client-held (for both mother and child) personal health records in ensuring quality ante-natal, delivery, and post-natal care; The importance of government commitments to newborn health, prematurity; Technology and Social and behaviour change communication (SBCC) in promoting maternal and newborn and child health in Nigeria; and more. ENAP was also a central focus of the 67thWorld Health Assembly, taking place in Geneva from the 19th – 24th of May, as it was reviewed by international delegates on the 21st of May, with advocates of ENAP hoping that its broad support translates into full endorsement of the plan.To continue the Every Newborn conversation, follow @wellbeingafrica, @every_newborn and #EveryNewbornon Twitter.

Signed: Communications

The Wellbeing Foundation Africa

Email: [email protected]

Web: www.wbfafrica.org

 

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