Infant and Child mortality

This intermittent very seldom or  random focus of media on newborn deaths in India actually brings about a welcome sensitivity among bureaucrats, administrators and policy makers towards finding causes . Mitigation and prevention of such deaths then must be followed upon over the years. This gets ignored as Media Hype is short-lived and so is our policy makers & administrators priority..
Just had great discussion with my great professor of top most institution wherein he laid down seven pillars needed to sustain improved health of newborns:
1. Quality Assurance; human resources, infrastructure, WASH etc
2. Quality improvement: culture of improving , mistake proofing,  team making and joint decision making
3. Supply Chain and logistics: no good intentions or improvement can occur without drugs, lab investigation or functional equipments with their spares, accessories and disposables
4. Allocation of Budget ( resources): That needs to be upgraded from time to time as a dynamic model and not static one. With institutional delivery load increasing from 40% to 80%, the staff and budget allocation is still as per previous norms. Even that overstressed system requirements are not fulfilled at places.
5.Data collection and monitoring: Database must be created of all services, events recorded, lessons deduced from it and then follow it by concrete actions.
6.Accountability of system involved must also be etched so that some serious thought are undertaken. But fixing it on the lowermost Frontline doctor or nurse is not the answer.
7. Governance: No system can prosper if there is no administrative or political will. Good governance must incorporate good health of its citizens especially at risk population of newborns, children , women and elderly people.