Preterm Birth, Exasperation to the South Asian Countries

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Neonatal Medicine
• Global Health

Background:

• Preterm birth, occurring before 37 weeks, is a global issue with higher mortality in low- and middle-income countries.
• South Asian nations, including India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, face a disproportionately high burden of preterm birth deaths.
• Lack of basic interventions contributes significantly to neonatal mortality from preterm birth complications in the region.

Approach:

• A comprehensive literature review was conducted, searching PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar from 2000 to 2020.
• Twenty-seven relevant articles were selected to analyze the burden and challenges of preterm birth in South Asia.
• The review synthesizes existing data to provide a landscape analysis of the preterm birth issue.

Key Points:

• Preterm birth leads to substantial morbidity, mortality, and socioeconomic losses, with complications including sepsis, cardiovascular, respiratory, and neurological issues.
• South Asian countries face unique challenges, including poor health surveillance data, inadequate healthcare workforce, insufficient funding, and service delivery gaps.
• Reducing preterm birth is vital for achieving Sustainable Development Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being).

Conclusions:

• Urgent prioritization and increased financing are needed to combat preterm birth in South Asia.
• Improving data quality, adopting innovative strategies, and fostering inter-sectoral collaboration are essential for reducing preterm birth.
• Enhanced efforts are required to mitigate the severe impact of preterm birth on infants and healthcare systems in the region.