Over 2 000 Malawi babies born on New Year’s Day: Unicef urges govt to save every child

The United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) says over 2 000 children were born in Malawi on New Year’s Day alone but says the survival of most of them is slim.

Unicef Malawi acting representative Roisin De Burca said there is need for the government and development partners to ensure that all the children survive.

“Most of them will not make it due to infectious and other diseases,” said De Burc in a statement.

Unicef said under five mortality rate accounts for 45 percent, saying it has been reduced from 200 per live 1000 births to 55 per live 1000 live births.

“Still, this figure of 55 per live births is very high, we need to reduce this figure drastically,” said De Burca.

De Burca urged the government to put in health programs that would reduce the high fertility rate.

Unicef said that the New Year’s Day births projections were derived from District Health Information System II data (DHISII).

According to the statement, De Burca says there is more that can be done in ensuring that babies are given a chance to live beyond their first day by among others, ensuring a steady supply of clean water and electricity in health facilities, having skilled attendants and treating complications during pregnancy, delivery and at birth.