To promote safe delivery of every newborn baby and the optimal health of mothers and babies from conception through the first most vulnerable weeks of life.
In 2005, the Department of International Health established the International Center for Advancing Newborn Health (ICANH). ICANH produced cutting-edge, community-based research, which demonstrated that village health workers could be trained to work with families to safely deliver babies, prevent disease and respond to serious newborn illnesses.The Center will build on the progress of its predecessor by expanding focus to incorporate the health of mothers during the perinatal period.
The health and survival of the newborns is intimately tied to the health and well-being of the mother. While death rates among children ages 1 month to 5 years have fallen dramatically, little progress has been made in reducing newborn deaths. Approximately 360,000 women die in childbirth each year with 99 percent of these occurring in the poorest countries. A mother in Africa has a 100 fold higher chance of dying during childbirth compared to a mother in United States. If a mother dies, the chance of a child surviving decreases 6 fold. In response, the Center will address both maternal and newborn health and survival. This site will be under renovation as we prepare to launch the new Center. | 
