Oluwatobi Adu 
Kangaroo Mother Care
ABUJA, Nigeria – The World Health Organisation is marking the first official World Prematurity Day with the launch of a new global clinical guide promoting Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC), a low-cost, high-impact intervention proven to dramatically improve the survival chances of preterm and low-birth-weight infants.
In a statement released on Friday, WHO highlights that 15 million babies are born prematurely every year, with complications from early birth remaining the leading cause of death among children under five. It notes a stark survival gap between countries: while extremely premature infants often die within days in low-income nations, nearly all survive in high-income settings due to improved neonatal care.
KMC—centred on prolonged skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding—reduces newborn deaths by more than 30 per cent, cuts severe infections by around 15 per cent and lowers hypothermia risk by almost 70 per cent. The method also enhances bonding, weight gain and cognitive development.
WHO Assistant Director-General, Dr Jeremy Farrar, describes KMC as “a powerful, life-saving tool that should now be universal practice for all preterm and small babies.”
The new WHO guide provides step-by-step instructions for health workers, facility managers and caregivers. It recommends initiating KMC immediately after birth unless the newborn requires urgent medical stabilisation. Although mothers typically provide KMC, the guide emphasises the role fathers and other family members can play in offering both physical and emotional support.
WHO calls for hospitals to adopt supportive policies, ensure adequate staff training and keep mothers and babies together to enable continuous care. It stresses that KMC can be practised safely across labour wards, operating theatres, neonatal units and at home.
With the 2025 theme, “A strong start for a hopeful future,” WHO urges governments to invest in specialised neonatal wards, essential equipment and trained personnel. Head of Newborn and Child Health, Dr Per Ashorn, insists no baby should die from preventable causes and calls for global commitment to scale up life-saving newborn care.
About the Author
Korede Abdullah 
Chukwu Obinna 
Otamere Gladness