Key Finding: WHO calls for urgent expansion of newborn screening to prevent 8 million annual birth defects

Last updated: 22/08/2026 17:29

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The World Health Organization has released a major report calling on countries to expand newborn screening for birth defects, citing evidence that early detection can prevent disability in millions of children. An estimated 8 million babies are born with birth defects annually, with 90% living in low- and middle-income countries where screening access remains severely limited. — Photo by Lemniscate L on Pexels (Pexels License)

8 million babies born with birth defects annually. Birth defects now account for ~8% of child deaths under age 5. WHO calls for urgent screening expansion.

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GMJ Brief · Key Finding

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ByProf. Giorgi Pkhakadze, MD, MPH, PhD

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MD, MPH, PhD. Editor-in-Chief, Georgian Medical Journal (GMJ). Professor and Head, School of Public Health, David Tvildiani Medical University (DTMU), Tbilisi, Georgia. Chair, Public Health Institute of Georgia (PHIG). President, Accréditation Sans Frontières (ASF), Paris. Secretary/Treasurer, UEMS Section of Public Health. WHO Consultant, Health and Migration, Geneva. Former Member, UN Secretary-General's Independent Accountability Panel for Every Woman, Every Child, Every Adolescent (IAP-EWEC, 2016–2021). ORCID: 0000-0001-7609-4515.