The World Health Organisation (WHO) has called on countries to expand newborn screening programmes, warning that early detection and treatment of birth defects could save lives and reduce lifelong disability worldwide.
WHO Director-General, Tedros Ghebreyesus, made the appeal on Tuesday during the launch of a new report identifying newborn screening as a critical strategy for improving child survival and curbing preventable deaths.
An estimated eight million babies are born with a birth defect each year globally, with such conditions now accounting for nearly eight per cent of all deaths among children under five. More than 90 per cent of children born with serious birth defects reside in low- and middle-income countries, where access to screening, diagnosis, and treatment remains severely limited.
“Birth defects account for a growing proportion of under-five deaths,” Dr Ghebreyesus said. “Between 2000 and 2023, their share rose from one per cent to four per cent in sub-Saharan Africa, and from three per cent to 11 per cent in South Asia. Part of this shift reflects genuine progress in reducing deaths from infectious causes, making birth defects a larger share.”
Conditions such as congenital hypothyroidism, sickle-cell disease, hearing impairment, and certain metabolic disorders can be successfully managed when identified shortly after birth through effective screening. Yet millions of children are diagnosed too late or never receive treatment, missing the critical window for medical intervention.
“No child should miss the chance for a healthy future because a congenital condition was not detected early enough,” the WHO chief emphasised.
The report highlights stark global disparities: some countries screen newborns for more than 50 conditions, while others cannot provide screening for any. Dr Ghebreyesus urged nations to begin with priority conditions aligned with their disease burdens and gradually expand as capacity and resources improve.
Several countries have demonstrated success: Argentina achieved near-universal coverage through health system integration; Brazil expanded nationwide screening for multiple life-threatening conditions; Egypt’s newborn care pathway integrates screening for hearing and hypothyroidism; India screened over 28 million children in three years, identifying 900,000 with birth defects; the Philippines scaled from 24 hospitals to over 7,000 facilities covering 29 conditions; Sri Lanka reaches 80 per cent of newborns; and Uganda implemented sickle-cell screening in high-burden areas.
The report, informed by a global WHO consultation involving governments, experts, clinicians, and civil society, aims to guide health ministries in low- and middle-income countries to prioritise screening based on local needs. Dr Ghebreyesus called for integrating newborn screening into routine healthcare and universal health coverage to ensure equitable access for every newborn.