Padma Bhushan awardee from 2014 for contributions to developing neonatal intensive care, Dr Neelam Kler said that India has 25 million births every year and has successfully reduced the neonatal mortality rate to 24 per 1,000 live births. Despite a massive 60 per cent reduction, we still have to bridge the gap with the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of Neonatal mortality rate to 12 per 1,000 live births. Dr Kler said that the first 28 days are critical for a newborn and hygiene plays a crucial role, so the availability of soap and water is as vital as medicines.
