Paris, Oct 8 (AFP/APP):Almost two million babies are stillborn every year — one every 16 seconds — the United Nations said Thursday, warning that the Covid-19 pandemic could add another 200,000 deaths to the “devastating” toll. The vast majority of stillbirths, 84 percent, occur in low- and middle-income countries, where basic neo-natal care could save hundreds of thousands of lives each year, according to a joint report by UNICEF, the World Health Organization and the World Bank Group. Most stillbirths occur due to poor quality healthcare lacking investment in equipment and training of midwives. And unlike notable reductions in recent decades in the global rate of maternal and infant deaths, stillbirths remain stubbornly frequent, particularly throughout sub-Saharan Africa and southeast Asia. “Losing a child at birth or during pregnancy is a devastating tragedy for a family, one that is often endured quietly, yet all too frequently, around the world,” said UNICEF executive director Henrietta Fore. “Beyond the loss of life, the psychological and financial costs for women, families and societies are severe and long lasting. For many of these mothers, it simply didn’t have to be this way.” The report warned that the pandemic could result in nearly 200,000 additional … Continue reading Covid could add to 2 million per year stillbirth toll: UN