India Newborn Action Plan helps end Preventable Newborn Deaths and Stillbirths

The India Newborn Action Plan (INAP) was launched in September 2014 with the aim of ending preventable newborn deaths and stillbirths by 2030.

The salient features are:

· INAP has set the goals for neonatal mortality and stillbirths. The goal is to attain Single Digit Neonatal Mortality and Stillbirth Rates by 2030.

· INAP is to be implemented within the existing Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent health (RMNCH+A) framework of the National Health Mission (NHM).

· Six pillars of intervention packages impacting stillbirths and newborn health have been identified, which include:

Preconception and antenatal care

Care during labour and child birth

Immediate newborn care

Care of healthy newborn

Care of small and sick newborn

Care beyond newborn survival

· For effective implementation, a systematic plan for monitoring and evaluation has been developed with a list of dashboard indicators.

INAP is now serving as a framework for the States to develop state-specific action plans and it is expected that these interventions would have an impact in reducing newborn mortality in the country.

Birth Defect surveillance has been started recently in 37 Medical Colleges across the country. This aims to build and strengthen surveillance capacity and expand the availability of standardized and accurate data on congenital anomalies.

INAP has been disseminated at the national and regional levels in order to facilitate the States to formulate their own need-based plans. As a result, the States are now in the process of developing their State-specific Newborn Action Plans.