Welcome to the neonatal programme website. We trust you will find all the support and resources here that you need to offer optimal neonatal care in your facility. Please contact Ruth Provincial Neonatal Coordinator at ruth.davidge@kznhealth.gov.za  for any questions or support required in neonatal care.

Premature birth is now the leading cause, globally, of U5M. 15 million babies are born too soon every year. 1 million of these don't reach their 5th birthday. 750 thousand (2/3rds) could be saved with simple inexpensive interventions like breast feeding, antibiotics and skin to skin care.

Reducing premature births and neonatal mortality have thus become global priorities.

The Every Newborn Action Plan (ENAP) has set a global neonatal mortality (NMR) target of 10/1000 births for every nation to achieve by 2035.

South Africa has made great progress in reducing Under-5 mortality (U5M) from 65,000 deaths in 2007 to 35,000 deaths in 2012. Unfortunately, in line with the global situation, neonatal mortality has remained relatively unchanged at over 12/1000 since 2000! This means that of the approximately 1 million babies born each year in the public sector over 12 000 die in the first month. That's 33 every day! Most of these babies die on the first day or the first week of their life making the neonatal period –the first month of life-the most vulnerable period our lives.