A comprehensive model for scaling up care for small and/or sick newborns at district level–based on country experiences presented at a WHO-UNICEF expert consultation
Current trends indicate that 63 countries are not on track to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) target of a neonatal mortality rate ≤12 per 1000 live births, with 55 needing to double the annual rate of decline in neonatal mortality to do so. The global report on transforming care for small and/or sick newborns in 2019 called for urgent actions, articulating the importance of strengthening care for small and/or sick newborns at different levels of health facilities to accelerate progress. The Standards for Improving the Quality Care of Small and/or Sick Newborns in Health Facilities provide the framework, input, process, and outcome measures for such care.
The Every Newborn Action Plan (ENAP) 2020-25 sets a specific target for a functional special care unit for small and/ or sick newborns in at least 80% of districts in each country. Achieving this target will require a comprehensive model that describes what care is to be delivered and how countries and program managers can build and organize care delivery systems to scale up small and/or sick newborn care. Here we describe such a model to consolidate learning to date and accelerate progress globally.
