'Every journey matters,' WHO urges global action on World Birth Defects Day

New Delhi [India], March 2 : As the world commemorates World Birth Defects Day 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) directs attention to the pivotal theme, "Every Journey Matters."
As stated in the WHO press release, "Saima Wazed, WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia, underscores the significance of acknowledging and safeguarding health from its very inception - during intra-uterine life."
"We are reminded that "Every Journey Matters," and the journey of health indeed begins before birth," the release says.
"This resonates with the WHO's commitment to fostering global awareness about birth defects and accelerating actions to prevent, detect, and manage these congenital anomalies,' as per WHO press release.
"I am heartened that a regional implementation guidance on universal newborn screening of three conditions (hearing impairment, eye abnormalities, and neonatal hyperbilirubinaemia) is being released on this occasion to facilitate capacity-building of Member States," the release added.
Globally, the contribution of birth defects to the cause of death among under-5 children has seen an unfortunate surge. Between 2000 and 2021, the WHO South-East Asia Region has witnessed an alarming increase from 4% to 11%.
Additionally, Birth defects now stand as the third most common cause of death among under-5 children in the region, accounting for a staggering 11% of total deaths, equivalent to the loss of 300 young lives each day.
Wazed notes that while genetics plays a significant role in the aetiology of birth defects, many are preventable by addressing environmental factors.
The WHO has been actively supporting Member States since 2014, focusing on reducing maternal, newborn, and child mortality. An integrated approach has been adopted to implement interventions for the prevention and treatment of birth defects in existing national programs.
Moreover, the WHO's South-East Asia Region has taken significant strides in strengthening preventive measures. Routine childhood rubella vaccination has accelerated, achieving an average coverage rate of 92% for the first dose.
Additionally, countries like Bhutan, DPR Korea, Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Timor-Leste have successfully eliminated rubella, with no reported cases of congenital rubella syndrome.
On this World Birth Defects Day, the WHO issues a "call for action" in five key areas. Member States are urged to prioritize birth defects in their agenda, enhance commitment and leadership, and allocate appropriate financial resources.
The WHO emphasizes the importance of the newly released regional guidance on universal new-born screening for three conditions and stresses the need to improve preventive interventions, strengthen community-based support networks, and sustain and expand surveillance of birth defects.
As WHO reaffirms its commitment to the "survive, thrive, and transform" agenda, the global community is called upon to unite in the shared responsibility of ensuring that every journey towards health is safeguarded from its very beginning.