National New-Born Week

National New-born Week is observed between November 15 and 21 every year in India with an aim to highlight the importance of new-born and maternal health. Every year, approximately 2.6 million new-born babies die in the first 28 days of birth.  This is why it is important to create awareness about the care of new-born babies.

Key Points

• The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare have developed the India New-born Action Plan (INAP), in response to the ‘Every New-born Action Plan (ENAP)’ launched by the World Health Assembly in 2014.
• INAP aims to reduce preventable new-born deaths and stillbirths and to bring down the neonatal mortality rate and still born rate to ‘single digit’ by 2030.

Other Similar Schemes

Mothers’ Absolute Affection (MAA) – It is a programme launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on August 5, 2016 to support, promote and protect breastfeeding practices. It highlights that breast milk is the best food and drink for a new-born for first 6 months.

Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) – It is a scheme launched in the year 2016 to ensure quality and comprehensive antenatal checkups to pregnant women across India.

India Achieves 2017 Newborn Action Plan target

The Union Health Minister has announced that India has successfully achieved the 2017 target of the new-born mortality rate of 24 per 1,000 live births. The announcement was made at an event to celebrate New-born week. The theme of 2020 New-born week was ‘Quality, equity, dignity for every newborn at every health facility and everywhere’. As per the Sample Registration System (SRS), 2018, India’s new-born mortality rate is 23 per 1,000 live births. India is also advancing towards the target of stillbirth rate of 19 per 1,000 total births by this year.