PRETERM BIRTH AT GLANCE

According to the WHO, Preterm birth refers to a live birth that occurs before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy. Globally, approximately 15 million babies are born preterm annually, indicating a global preterm birth rate of about 11%. With one million children dying due to preterm birth before their fifth birthday, preterm birth is the leading cause of death among children, accounting for 18% of all deaths among children aged under 5 years and as much as 35% of all deaths among new-borns aged less than 28 days (WHO 2018). There are significant variations in preterm birth rates and mortality between countries and within countries. However, the burden of preterm birth is particularly high in low- and middle-income countries, especially those in Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa of which Ghana is inclusive.

Preterm birth rates are rising in many countries. The issue of preterm birth is of paramount significance for achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3 which aims at ending all preventable deaths of new-borns and children aged under 5 years by 2030.

A baby born after 37 weeks of pregnancy is not considered preterm; however, it is recommended that unless medically indicated a pregnancy should be allowed to continue until 39 completed weeks to ensure optimal health outcomes of the baby. There are major variations in preterm birth rates by geographic region and level of income of a country. Based on income categorization of countries by the World Bank, it is was found that approximately 90% of all preterm births occur in low- and middle-income countries. The average preterm birth rate for low-income countries is close to 12%, compared to 9.4% and 9.3% for middle- and high-income countries, respectively. However, there are outliers. For instance , Ecuador, a middle-income county, has a preterm birth rate of 5%, which is lower than in many high-income countries such as Germany (9.2%), Canada (7.8%), and Israel (8%).( Hawawu et., al).

Preterm birth can be caused by range of factors and be classified into categories; socio-demographic, reproductive health, obstetric, medical, behavioural and nutritional related. Sadly, the risk of neonatal death due to complications of preterm birth is 12 times higher for an African baby than a European baby. Yet, more than three quarters of preterm babies could be saved through feasible, cost- effective care, effective social care policy, increased spousal support and intensive neonatal care.

A study conducted in Northern Region revealed that there was higher prevalence of preterm births compared to the Southern regions in Ghana (Abukari et al., 2015). Many other studies have suggested same, calling for attention to reduce the menace. Even though much data is not available on preterm birth at various health facilities in Northern Ghana due to ineffective health information systems and to some extent underreporting. The higher prevalence could be attributed to the poor access to health services such antennal care, poverty, double burden of malnutrition and lack of legislature protecting preterm babies and their mothers.

Preterm birth is the leading cause of childhood mortality. Therefore understanding the global burden of preterm birth, its disparities in terms of prevalence and mortality is critical for advocacy and allocation of resources for surveillance, research, prevention, humanitarian assistance and care related to preterm birth. It is important to have all hands on deck so as to effectively tackle these canker especially in Northern Ghana.