Nyf dtmedisin i India

E NGLISH SUMMARY Saugstad OD. Newborn medicine in India. Nor J Epidemiol 1997; 7 (1): 99-102. India has the largest newborn population in the world with approximately 25 million deliveries annually. Of these 1.3 million die in the newborn period and 4 million before the age of five. The last years newborn medicine has become a high priority area in India. The goals by the year 2000 are to reduce perinatal mortality from 60 to 30-35/1000 and infant mortality from 74 to < 60/1000. The number of low birth weigth infants is today approximately 30% and the goal is to reduce this to 10% at the turn of the century. A number of efficient strategies have been developed in order to reduce perinatal and neonatal mortality. Since 1992 the socalled Child Survival and Safe Motherhood (CSSM) program has contributed significantly to reduce mortality and improve newborn care. The Indian approach is very systematic summing up in a few key points the necessary care which should be provided at each level. Developing countries could certainly learn from the Indian experience in solving their own health problems. The strategy for improving the skills in newborn resuscitation has for instance been very successfull by implementing the program: ‘Give a breath, save a life’. In the course of only 3 years more than 10 000 health care workers were trained in resuscitation procedures.