283 children born with birth defects in Maldives in 2019

Health Ministry, on Tuesday, announced that 283 children were born with birth defects in Maldives last year.

Health Ministry made the observation in a statement on occasion of World Birth Defects Day, marked on March 3 each year.

Health Ministry, in its statement, noted a global increase in the number of children born with birth defects.

Research conducted into the area shows eight million children are born with birth defects each year. It is also one of the leading causes of infant mortality.

Health Ministry noted that birth defects resulted in forms of cognitive or physical disabilities, as a consequence of which families face many socioeconomic challenges.

Maldives had established the Birth Defect Surveillance system, designed by World Health Organization (WHO) to reduce cases of birth defects in the South East Asia region, in 2015.

Health Ministry said it had conducted training programs, aimed at familiarizing health facilities located in Male’ City and the atolls to the system, from 2015 to 2019.

Records show 283 children had been born with birth defects in Maldives last year.

World Birth Defects Day is observed to raise awareness of birth defects, their causes, and their impact around the world.

Health Protection Agency (HPA), which has a neonatal health program, and Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) has a number of events planned to observe the occasion in Maldives this year.

HPA is also collaborating with Maldives National University (MNU)’s School of Nursing to hold a panel discussion on birth defects, in which governmental and non-governmental agencies will discuss the challenges they face in the area.

Maldives has also joined the global "I CARE" campaign, a global campaign to raise awareness about birth defects research, prevention, and care.

Health Ministry said it had conducted specialized training on facility based newborn care to doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers in health facilities across Maldives in a bid to improve the quality of neonatal healthcare, and protect children in the first few days and weeks of their infant life – a period critical for the future health and survival of children.

This year’s theme for World Birth Defects Day is “many birth defects, one voice.”