Director of the Institute of Health Research at the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS), Professor Alexander Manu, says that the death of a newborn carries a far greater national cost than the loss of an older child or adult, underscoring the urgent need for increased investment in newborn health.
Speaking during the JoyNews National Dialogue on Investment in Newborn Health: Giving Preterm Babies a Strong Start, Prof. Manu explained that every newborn who dies represents not just a personal tragedy for families, but a significant socioeconomic loss for Ghana.
“I was thinking, those who turned 18 last year were born 18 years ago. I can assure you that a good percentage of them died. We don’t know what their potential could have been in life. Anytime a newborn dies, the cost for the country is higher than somebody who is older, because we don’t know who would be the next president or the next whoever,” he stated.
Prof. Manu explained that investing in newborns yields what he described as a ‘triple return’.
According to him, the interventions that protect newborns also safeguard mothers, prevent stillbirths and improve overall childbirth outcomes.
“As I have said, five out of every 10 children who die before age five are dying in the first month. So if we invest in the first month, we are saving children,” he added.
Ghana continues to struggle with newborn mortality, with the first 28 days of life remaining the riskiest period for a child.
Prof. Manu reiterated that the country cannot reduce under-five mortality without aggressively tackling newborn deaths.
To achieve this, he called for strengthened health systems, better-prepared delivery units, improved access to essential neonatal care, and community-level interventions that ensure babies survive and thrive beyond their first month of life.