An estimated 13.4 million babies were born pre-term in 2020, with nearly 1 million dying from preterm complications, according to this new report released by United Nations agencies and partners today. This is equivalent to around 1 in 10 babies born early (before 37 weeks of pregnancy) worldwide.

Born too soon: decade of action on preterm birth, produced by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) together with PMNCH – the world’s largest alliance for women, children, and adolescents – sounds the alarm on a “silent emergency” of preterm birth, long under-recognized in its scale and severity, which is impeding progress in improving children’s health and survival.