S AV E N E W B O R N L I V E S W I T H H O M E - B A S E D C A R E PA C K A G E S

Around the world, more than three million newborns die every yearthats over 8,000 each day. Many of these deaths are preventable with simple, proven, and costeffective interventions.
THE PROBLEM:

Home-Based Newborn Care (HBNC) programs provide basic care for mothers and babies through home visits. These packages include straightforward practices such as using sterile blades to cut umbilical cords, teaching the importance of immediate breastfeeding, and promoting skin-to-skin contact to keep babies warm. Village health workers (VHWs) deliver HBNC to vulnerable families at the local level, reaching communities that lack access to medical facilities.
THE IDEA:

Society for Education, Action and Research in Community Health (SEARCH) trains local women as VHWs in rural India. VHWs visit expectant mothers in their homes, promoting good nutrition, preparation for delivery, breastfeeding, cleanliness, and newborn care. The VHWs also receive a basic medical kit including antibiotics and materials to keep low birth weight infants warm.
HIGH IMPACT OPPORTUNITY:

During an eight-year evaluation, the rate of newborn deaths declined 70% in SEARCH villages in comparison to control villages; newborns in SEARCH villages were significantly less likely to die from low birth weight, premature birth, infection, or trouble breathing after the intervention.
RESULTS:

The cost to serve one newborn and mother is approximately $7, and the cost per newborn life saved is approximately $150.
COST PER IMPACT:

TAKE ACTION: You can find more information and ways to support SEARCHs work on their website or through the US-based 501c3, Indians for Collective Action. Other organizations that have similar programs include John Snow International, serving Nepal; BRAC International, serving Bangladesh; and Save the Childrens Saving Newborn Lives Initiative, working internationally. TIPS: For new programs, organizations already serving mothers and children may be best positioned to add home-based newborn care, since they serve the same target population.

For additional tips, information, and references, see our case study on home-based newborn care and our Global Childrens Health toolkit. For all of CHIPs profiles of high impact giving opportunities in 2013, see http://www.impact. upenn.edu/about/year-end-giving.