Lives lost too soon: Alarming rise in newborn deaths as SA faces budget crunch

Ahead of the upcoming presentation of the third National Budget for the year, Statistics South Africa has released data indicating a concerning rise in the number of newborns who do not survive their first week of life.

Its recent paper indicated that early neonatal deaths – those occurring within the first seven days – rose from 7,039 in 1997 to 8,212 in 2020, peaking at 11,060 in 2009. Its research covers the period between 1997 and 2020.

Overall, perinatal deaths, which include both stillbirths and early neonatal deaths, increased from 13,021 in 1997 to 24,120 in 2020, with the highest recorded number at 25,422 in 2009, it said.

“Early neonatal mortality accounts for roughly a third of perinatal deaths over the period 2016 to 2020,” Statistics South Africa’s paper noted.

The government agency added: “Perinatal mortality data is essential for informed decision-making and for improving healthcare services for mothers and newborns, ensuring better outcomes in the future. The rising rates of perinatal deaths in South Africa, driven by a range of factors including complications during pregnancy, labour, and delivery, highlight the critical need for improved maternal and neonatal healthcare.”

With the government needing to fill a R75 billion hole in its budget after a mooted increase in VAT was scrapped, there are concerns that frontline services such as the Department of Health will receive less money. This may adversely affect the number of nurses available at public hospitals.

Old Mutual chief economist, Johann Els, has previously indicated that there could be “significant cutbacks in spending that was planned, especially in terms of extra nurses and extra teachers”.

The initial National Budget, tabled in February, stated that the Department of Health would, over the medium-term, focus on reinforcing primary health care, improving tertiary services and strengthening health systems.

“Work in these focus areas aims to ensure improvement in the public health sector in preparation for national health insurance,” the Budget document noted.

It added that R181.4 billion of the department's budget – 90% - would go to provincial departments given that most services are delivered at the provincial level.

Total spending was projected to increase at an average annual rate of 4.1%, above the current inflation rate of 2.7%, between this financial year and 2027/28.

IOL