Health interventions and stakeholder roles in neonatal mortality reduction within low-income countries: A scoping review.

OBJECTIVES

Neonatal mortality continues to represent a major global health challenge, with the highest mortality rates being observed in low-income countries (LICs). Despite the adoption of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3.2, there has been limited progress in reducing deaths due to preterm birth complications, birth asphyxia, and infections among newborns. In order to inform future policy and implementation strategies, it is essential to understand which neonatal health interventions have been implemented since 2015 and which stakeholders have been involved in their implementation and funding. This scoping review maps health interventions implemented in low-income countries (LICs) since the adoption of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3.2 in 2015, targeting key causes of neonatal mortality: prematurity, birth asphyxia, and infections. It also explores multi-stakeholder partnerships supporting implementation and financing.

STUDY

DESIGN

Scoping review.

METHODS

Medline Ovid, Embase Ovid, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library were searched for peer-reviewed literature, and Google Scholar was searched for grey literature, covering an intervention period from 2015 to 2025. The review followed the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and was reported according to PRISMA-ScR guidelines. A protocol was prospectively registered on the Open Science Framework (OSF-ID cdpr2).

RESULTS

22 studies met the inclusion criteria. Interventions were clustered into six thematic categories: quality of neonatal care improvement initiatives (n = 6), neonatal resuscitation training (n = 5), Kangaroo Mother Care implementation strategies (n = 4), pharmaceutical and nutritional interventions (n = 4), mHealth interventions (n = 1), and thermal and respiratory support (n = 2). Implementation was largely facilitated through multi-stakeholder partnerships involving public health facilities, academic institutions, non-profit organizations (NPOs), non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and governmental authorities.

CONCLUSIONS

Multi-stakeholder partnerships play a crucial role in the implementation of neonatal health interventions in LICs, with public and non-profit actors most frequently engaged. However, limited reporting on stakeholder roles and financing mechanisms raises concerns about long-term sustainability. Greater transparency in implementation and funding processes is needed to accelerate progress toward achieving SDG 3.2 by 2030.