Nepal lockdown halved health facility births and increased stillbirths and newborn deaths

COVID-19 response has resulted in major reductions in health facility births in Nepal and widened inequalities, with significantly increased institutional stillbirth and neonatal mortality, according to a new study in the Lancet Global Health.The research was led Dr Ashish KC and Nepal colleagues with Uppsala University, Sweden, and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. It is the first published study with primary data on the impact of a COVID-19 lockdown on births in hospital, and measuring stillbirths and newborn deaths.