ArticleThe Lancet. Global health2023
Research funding for newborn health and stillbirths, 2011-20: a systematic analysis of levels and trends.
Article in The Lancet. Global health, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers.
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14 citing papers in PubMed.
- Tracking funding disparities in global health aid with machine learning.Nature communications · 2026Article
- Updating unanswered questions for stillbirth research: refresh of the UK Stillbirth Priority Setting Partnership.Ultrasound in obstetrics & gynecology : the official journal of the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology · 2026Article
- A reduction in large animal research threatens the perinatal translation research pipeline.Pediatric research · 2026Review
- Research priorities for stillbirth in Australia: outcomes of a national priority setting partnership.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2025Article
- Family systems care approaches and methodologies for maternal, newborn and child health in low- and middle-income countries: a scoping review.Global health action · 2025Article
- Born too soon: accelerating change to 2030 and beyond.Reproductive health · 2025Article
- The nexus between healthcare provider distribution and neonatal mortality based on the context of maternal and child healthcare services in Pakistan.Journal of health, population, and nutrition · 2025Article
- "I have to be strong": A qualitative study of parental bereavement experiences in Uganda following the death of their baby.Women and birth : journal of the Australian College of Midwives · 2025Article
- Neonatal Care in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Fresh Look.Neonatology · 2025Article
- Global Financing Facility investments for vulnerable populations: content analysis regarding maternal and newborn health and stillbirths in 11 African countries, 2015 to 2019.Global health action · 2024Article
- Temporal Trends of Stillbirth in Brazil Disaggregated by Maternal and Gestational Age.Journal of family & reproductive health · 2024Article
- Global, regional, and national stillbirths at 20 weeks' gestation or longer in 204 countries and territories, 1990-2021: findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021.Lancet (London, England) · 2024Article
- Donor aid mentioning newborns and stillbirths, 2002-19: an analysis of levels, trends, and equity.The Lancet. Global health · 2023Article
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Abstract
backgroundWorldwide, an estimated 4·4 million newborn deaths and stillbirths occurred in 2020, and 98% of these deaths occurred in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We aimed to analyse new research grants for newborns and stillbirth awarded by major funders in 2019-20, and all research funding allocated to LMIC-based institutions in 2011-20.
methodsFor this systematic analysis, we searched Dimensions, the world's largest research funding database, for grants relevant to neonatal and stillbirth research. Included grants were categorised by in-depth content analysis, with descriptive quantitative analyses by funder and recipient countries, research pipeline, topic, and year.
findingsGlobally, in 2019-20, major funders awarded a mean annual total of US$577·1 million per year for newborn and stillbirth research (mean total of 550 grants per year). $166·3 million (28·8%) of $577·1 million was directed to small and vulnerable newborn research, but only $8·4 million (1·5%) was directed to stillbirth research. The majority of funding, $537·0 million (93·0%), was allocated to organisations based in high-income countries. Between 2011 and 2020, LMIC-based recipients were named on 1985 grants from all funders worth $486·7 million, of which $73·1 million (15·0%) was allocated to small and vulnerable newborn research and $12·0 million (2·5%) was allocated to stillbirth research. Most LMIC funding supported preclinical or observational studies ($236·8 million [48·7%] of $486·7 million), with implementation research receiving only $13·9 million (2·9%).
interpretationAlthough investment in research related to neonatal health and stillbirths has increased between 2011 and 2020, there are marked disparities in distribution geographically, between major causes of mortality, and among research pipeline types. Stillbirth research received minimal funding in both high-income countries and LMICs, despite a similar number of deaths compared with neonates. Direct investment in LMIC-led research, especially for implementation research, could accelerate the slow global progress on stillbirth prevention and newborn survival.
fundingNone. TRANSLATIONS: For the French, German and Spanish translations of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.
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