Birth defects claim the lives of approximately 300 children under the age of five every day in the South-East Asia region, the World Health Organization (WHO) stated on Saturday, ahead of World Birth Defects Day.
Observed annually on March 3, World Birth Defects Day aims to raise awareness about prevention programs and improve the quality of care and services for individuals with congenital anomalies, disorders, or conditions.
“Over the past two decades, the contribution of birth defects to under-five mortality in our region has increased from 3.9 percent to 11.5 percent,” said Saima Wazed, Regional Director for WHO South-East Asia, in a statement.
“Birth defects are now the third leading cause of death (11 percent) among children under five in our region—affecting approximately 300 children daily. Additionally, they cause severe morbidity, which is often overlooked or underreported,” she added.
The global health body has urged countries to raise awareness about birth defects and strengthen health systems to address the specific health, developmental, and psychosocial needs of affected individuals. This effort must be complemented by actions to prevent, detect, and manage congenital anomalies, Wazed emphasized.
Birth defects have a significant impact on an individual’s quality of life and place a considerable burden on families, communities, society, and healthcare systems.
Wazed noted that while genetics play a major role, many birth defects are preventable through health system interventions.
“Rubella vaccination, early identification and management of sexually transmitted infections during pregnancy, and addressing environmental factors such as exposure to pollutants, lifestyle choices, and socioeconomic conditions that affect pregnant women and fetuses are some key preventive measures,” she said.
Furthermore, Wazed called on countries to “reaffirm investment in women, girls, adolescents, and vulnerable populations.”
In addition to prioritizing birth defects, she stressed the need to enhance the health system’s capacity for early detection and management by introducing and scaling up newborn screening tests for birth defects and other conditions.
“Countries need to invest in establishing or strengthening birth defect surveillance systems, with a particular focus on improving the availability, analysis, and utilization of relevant data for programmatic decision-making,” the Regional Director added.
IANS