WHO Urges Countries to Expand Newborn Screening for Birth Defects
WHO says early screening can save lives as birth defects affect 8 million babies a year and account for nearly 8% of under-five deaths.
- The World Health Organization today calls on countries to expand newborn screening for birth defects, emphasizing how early detection and treatment can save lives and reduce lifelong disability for millions of children.
- Birth defects account for almost 8% of all deaths among children under five worldwide, with an estimated 90% of affected children living in low- and middle-income countries where access to screening remains limited.
- Countries like Argentina, Egypt, Philippines, and Sri Lanka demonstrate successful integration of large-scale newborn screening into routine health services, identifying approximately 900,000 children with birth defects for treatment over three years.
- WHO urges governments to integrate newborn screening, diagnosis, and treatment into routine healthcare and universal health coverage programmes, beginning with priority conditions based on national disease burden.
- "No child should miss the chance for a healthy future because a congenital condition was not detected early enough," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, underscoring that screening saves lives and prevents disability.
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WHO urges countries to expand newborn screening for birth defects
The World Health Organization (WHO) today calls on countries to expand newborn screening for birth defects, highlighting how early detection and treatment can save lives and reduce lifelong disability for millions of children.
WHO raises alarm over birth defects, calls for wider newborn screening
Early diagnosis can save lives, prevent lifelong disability — Tedros By Chioma Obinna The World Health Organisation, (WHO) on Tuesday raised concerns over the growing burden of birth defects globally, calling on countries to expand newborn screening programmes to improve early detection and access to treatment. WHO in its newly unveiled report highlighted newborn screening as a critical strategy to reduce child mortality and prevent lifelong dis…
Africa: WHO Urges Scale Up of Newborn Screening to Improve Early Detection and Care of Birth Defects
The World Health Organization (WHO) today calls on countries to expand newborn screening for birth defects, highlighting how early detection and treatment can save lives and reduce lifelong disability for millions of children.
Birth Defects Now Account for Nearly 8% of Under-Five Deaths, WHO Warns
Millions of children worldwide are missing out on life-saving diagnoses and treatment because they are not screened for birth defects soon after birth, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned. In a new report released on Thursday, WHO called on countries to expand newborn screening programmes, saying early detection and treatment of congenital conditions can
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