Dr Vinod Paul, Member, Niti Aayog, Govt of India
Ms Aradhana Patnaik, Additional Secretary and Mission Director NHM, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Govt of India (TBC)
Dr V. Srinivas, Director AIIMS
Dr Ashok Deorari, Pro Vice Chancellor Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences and Former Head of Department Pediatrics, AIIMS
Distinguished participants and facilitators
Faculty and staff of the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)
Partners from UNICEF and other organizations
Colleagues
Good morning and welcome to the Regional Training of Trainers on WHO’s Essential Newborn Care Course.
I’d like to start with thanks to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences for graciously hosting us. My thanks also to our partners — academic and professional associations, and development organizations — for their continued collaboration in advancing newborn health.
Over the past decade, we have made remarkable progress in South-East Asia. Our region has seen the steepest decline in maternal, newborn, and under-five mortality in the world. And yet, 1,500 newborns in our region still die every day—mostly due to preventable causes.
Today, nearly 60% of all under-five deaths in our region are newborns, and more than one in five of those newborns are lost to birth-related complications. This is tragic and unacceptable.
While more women are delivering in health facilities, the quality of care for mothers and newborns is clearly a major challenge—especially during those critical first 24-to-48 hours. The evidence shows that nearly 60% of newborn deaths can be avoided with quality essential newborn care.
It is clear why this Training of Trainers is both timely and crucial, particularly for the six countries represented today, where birth-related complications are the second-highest cause of newborn deaths.
You will be trained on the 2nd Edition of the WHO Essential Newborn Care Course. Released in 2023, this contains the latest evidence, and incorporates simulation-based learning, and emphasizes respectful, rights-based care.
This is more than a training package—it is a tool for transformation for doctors, nurses, and midwives. It equips them with the knowledge and skills to adapt and implement Essential Newborn Care in their own countries and in their own contexts.
I would like to acknowledge our host for this training - the Neonatology Division of the Department of Pediatrics at AIIMS. As a global center of excellence for high-quality newborn care, they have been designated, since 1997, as a WHO Collaborating Centre for Training and Research in Newborn Care. They have played a crucial role in building the capacity of doctors, nurses, and para-medical staff, and also in generating evidence through multi-disciplinary research. I thank them for their excellence, their partnership, and their dedication to this essential cause.
Over the next five days, your—our participants from six countries—will be trained as master trainers. In doing so, you will develop national action plans, update your national training packages, and facilitate training in your own countries afterwards. Our Regional Office and the AIIMS team will continue to engage with your countries through clinical mentoring and technical support.
This training is an investment in the future. Every newborn has the right to a healthy start, and it is up to all of us to make that a reality.
I urge you to use this opportunity not only to learn, but to share your experiences, build networks, and strengthen collaboration across your countries. The plans you develop here will guide real, tangible impact in your countries.
On behalf of WHO, I thank all of you for your commitment to the newborn.
Together, let us ensure that every baby is given a loving, safe and healthy start to life.
I thank you.