Key Points
Births defects increased from 3.9% to 11.5% child mortality in two decades
Preventive measures include vaccination and infection management
Health systems need stronger surveillance and screening programs
World Birth Defects Day is marked every year on March 3. It aims to raise awareness about prevention programmes and improve the quality of services and care received by people with congenital anomalies, disorders, or conditions.
"During the past two decades, the contribution of birth defects to the cause of death among under-5 children has increased from 3.9 per cent to 11.5 per cent in our region," said Saima Wazed, Regional Director for WHO South-East Asia, in a statement.
"Birth defects are now the third most common cause of death (11 per cent) among under-5 children in our region -- approximately 300 every day. Additionally, they cause severe morbidity which usually is ignored or not highlighted," she added.
The global health body called on countries to raise awareness about birth defects and strengthen health systems response to the specific health, development, and psychosocial needs of this population. This must be coupled with the need for actions to prevent, detect, and manage these congenital anomalies, Wazed noted.
Birth defects have a significant impact on the quality of life of an individual, and place a considerable burden on the families, community, society, and the healthcare systems.
Wazed said that although genetics plays a major role, many birth defects are preventable through health system interventions.
"Rubella vaccination, identification and management of sexually transmitted infections in pregnancy, etc., and addressing environmental factors such as exposure to pollutants, lifestyle choices and socioeconomic conditions that affect pregnant women and foetuses," are some measures to prevent birth defects.
Further, Wazed urged the countries to "reaffirm investment in women, girls, adolescents, and vulnerable populations."
Besides prioritising birth defects, she stressed the need to enhance the health system's capacity for early detection and management, by introducing and scaling-up tests for newborn screening of birth defects and other conditions.
"Countries need to invest in establishing or strengthening their birth defect surveillance systems - with a particular focus on improving the availability, analysis, and utilization of relevant data for programmatic decision-making," the Regional Director said.
