Die Needlessly

Each year, millions of babies die within the first few weeks of life. A new report from the World Health Organization and Save the Children says many of those newborn deaths are easily preventable.

"This is the most comprehensive picture that we have to  date of what's happening for newborn deaths around the world and over time. And these estimates look at  fmdw110905 addjgvldo 193 countries and over 20 years," said Dr. Joy Lawn of Save the Children, co-author of the study.

She said newborns are "barely on the global health agenda."

So young,  so vulnerable

"Every year, in the first month of life, there are 3.3 million babies who die. This is a huge number of deaths. It sounds overwhelming, but each of  qweig0905 those deaths is a mother who has lost a baby, a family who has lost an expected life. And so we shouldn't let the numbers overwhelm  d d d d d d d d d d d d d each individual tragedy that's behind those," she said.

Newborn deaths make up over 40 percent of child deaths worldwide.

India has the highest number of newborn deaths each year – more than 900,000. India, along with Nigeria, Pakistan, China and the Democratic Republic of Congo, accounts for more than half of the 3.3 million deaths.