Presenting the World Prematurity Day Toolkit

World Prematurity Day on November 17, 2013 is a key moment to promote proven cost-effective solutions for prevention and care, to highlight ongoing research needs, and to support families who have experienced a preterm birth.

World Vision is very happy to present the World Prematurity Day Toolkit. This kit contains key messages, resources, suggested activities, and templates to support your work on this global day of action.

Key facts on Preterm Birth

On a global basis, preterm birth is the leading cause of newborn mortality and the second-leading cause of all deaths of children under age five, after pneumonia.  Preterm birth accounts for more than 1 million deaths each year. More than 75% of those lives could be saved without access to high technology care. Preterm birth rates are increasing in almost all countries with reliable data.

More than 75 percent of preterm babies could be saved without high technology care.

This year, World Prematurity Day will also highlight the important work of the Every Newborn effort, which seeks to improve newborn health and to reduce maternal and child mortality by uniting the work of all actors, including parent and community groups. The Every Newborn action plan will be launched in May 2014 by a wide group of stakeholders convened by WHO and UNICEF. You can learn more at www.everynewborn.org.

The 2013 World Prematurity Day toolkit includes:

Key messages
This section provides suggested messages to be highlighted in your communication efforts on World Prematurity Day. Messages draw on new research from the Beyond Survival series of papers (to be launched on 15 November 2013) and promote key findings from the Born Too Soon report on preterm birth in 2012. 

Communication Resources
This section highlights key resources such as the 2013 World Prematurity Day global press release (embargoed until Friday 15 November), advocacy toolkits produced by World Prematurity Day partners such as March of Dimes and the European Foundation for the Care of Newborn Infants, posters, infographics, video links and suggested tweets.

Ideas for action
National events are key to the success of World Prematurity Day. In 2012, more than 50 countries came together in their efforts to recognize this day through a range of creative and powerful public events, including family events, art installations, parliamentary sessions, media launches, and scientific workshops. This section highlights a range of  initiatives, events and activities that we hope will inspire you to take action.

We hope that you find this information useful and accessible as you join the global movement to raise awareness about preterm birth and newborn health.