Every year, roughly 15 million babies—more than one in ten—are born prematurely, and about a million die from complications associated with preterm birth. World Prematurity Day, on Nov 17, is an opportunity to assess progress in tackling premature birth worldwide.There is some cause for optimism. According to the March of Dimes 2013 report card, issued earlier this month, preterm births in the USA dropped to a 15-year low in 2012, with several states awarded an A rating for reaching the target of 9-6%—a goal the organisation hopes can be achieved across the country by 2020. In The Lancet, Rebecca Kadaga and colleagues describe some encouraging actions taken in Brazil and Uganda since last year's World Prematurity Day, including commitments to proven intervention strategies for preterm neonates.
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