Newborn babies are arguably the most vulnerable class of patients in any society. They are entirely incapable of surviving on their own without external help from carers and society. A poorly attended newborn will more likely die than one who received well-guided and knowledgeable care. Therefore, the neonatal mortality rate of any society represents a quick measure of the efficiency of its healthcare system, available technologies, and knowledge base. It is common knowledge that low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) contribute over 80% of the global annual burden of neonatal deaths. Limited access to sustainable technologies for neonatal care is one of the major impediments to lowering neonatal mortality in LMICs. Highly sophisticated technologies as applied in high-income countries (HICs) may be unaffordable and unsustainable at LMICs, however, a well-crafted basic technology may be appreciably effective in lifesaving, affordable, and easily maintainable by the indigenous people. The promotion, adaptation, implementation, and scale-up of such appropriate technologies by other LMICs could offer them the quickest route to better neonatal survival.
The era of Millennium Development Goal target No.4, MDG(4), offered the global community a great opportunity for concerted efforts into lowering neonatal mortality rates, especially amongst the LMICs. Despite all efforts and huge costs in expenditure, several LMICs failed to make significant progress towards the 67% target reduction in mortality, which still stood at 2,440,464 in 2021. Few questions have been asked, for example in many sub-Saharan African countries, why they failed so woefully. Sustainable Development Goal target no.3 SDG(3) was created to ensure the continuation of the gains of MDG(4). However, it is evident that some countries have already failed in maintaining the tempo as their neonatal mortalities have been on a steady rise since 2016. Recent findings show that massive knowledge gaps and inefficient and unsustainable technologies are to blame for the failures. Understandably, a lot of largely unknown low-cost and culture-appropriate technologies have assisted many of the few countries that made good MDG(4) progress. We intend to create a special volume that will identify and assemble some of these high-performing neonatal care technologies at LMICs, and by so doing crossbreed these ideas for adaptation by other LMICs. This will help to put appropriate technologies and knowledge gaps bridging at the center of the SDG(3) pursuit at LMICs without which the failures of MDG(4) could repeat.
Researchers and authors are invited to submit manuscripts for compilation in this Research Topic. Topics should focus on appropriate neonatal technologies for LMICs, including novel or modified interventional devices, procedures, and protocols. Articles on fully developed devices and game-changing improvised tools at preliminary trialing stages are welcome in all aspects of neonatal care including, but not limited to, neonatal resuscitation, thermoneutral support, respiratory support, infection control, surgical interventions and areas of neonatal nursing, neonatal transport, facility building and infrastructure, parental bonding, medical record and home support, obstetric-neonatal overlap and transitional management, and neonatal care funding. Articles on high-performing techniques applied at hardest-to-reach places where doctors are scarcely available are welcome too.
Newborn babies are arguably the most vulnerable class of patients in any society. They are entirely incapable of surviving on their own without external help from carers and society. A poorly attended newborn will more likely die than one who received well-guided and knowledgeable care. Therefore, the neonatal mortality rate of any society represents a quick measure of the efficiency of its healthcare system, available technologies, and knowledge base. It is common knowledge that low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) contribute over 80% of the global annual burden of neonatal deaths. Limited access to sustainable technologies for neonatal care is one of the major impediments to lowering neonatal mortality in LMICs. Highly sophisticated technologies as applied in high-income countries (HICs) may be unaffordable and unsustainable at LMICs, however, a well-crafted basic technology may be appreciably effective in lifesaving, affordable, and easily maintainable by the indigenous people. The promotion, adaptation, implementation, and scale-up of such appropriate technologies by other LMICs could offer them the quickest route to better neonatal survival.
The era of Millennium Development Goal target No.4, MDG(4), offered the global community a great opportunity for concerted efforts into lowering neonatal mortality rates, especially amongst the LMICs. Despite all efforts and huge costs in expenditure, several LMICs failed to make significant progress towards the 67% target reduction in mortality, which still stood at 2,440,464 in 2021. Few questions have been asked, for example in many sub-Saharan African countries, why they failed so woefully. Sustainable Development Goal target no.3 SDG(3) was created to ensure the continuation of the gains of MDG(4). However, it is evident that some countries have already failed in maintaining the tempo as their neonatal mortalities have been on a steady rise since 2016. Recent findings show that massive knowledge gaps and inefficient and unsustainable technologies are to blame for the failures. Understandably, a lot of largely unknown low-cost and culture-appropriate technologies have assisted many of the few countries that made good MDG(4) progress. We intend to create a special volume that will identify and assemble some of these high-performing neonatal care technologies at LMICs, and by so doing crossbreed these ideas for adaptation by other LMICs. This will help to put appropriate technologies and knowledge gaps bridging at the center of the SDG(3) pursuit at LMICs without which the failures of MDG(4) could repeat.
Researchers and authors are invited to submit manuscripts for compilation in this Research Topic. Topics should focus on appropriate neonatal technologies for LMICs, including novel or modified interventional devices, procedures, and protocols. Articles on fully developed devices and game-changing improvised tools at preliminary trialing stages are welcome in all aspects of neonatal care including, but not limited to, neonatal resuscitation, thermoneutral support, respiratory support, infection control, surgical interventions and areas of neonatal nursing, neonatal transport, facility building and infrastructure, parental bonding, medical record and home support, obstetric-neonatal overlap and transitional management, and neonatal care funding. Articles on high-performing techniques applied at hardest-to-reach places where doctors are scarcely available are welcome too.
