A Systematic Review of Community-to-Facility Neonatal Referral Completion Rates in Africa and Asia

It is estimated that 2.8 million neonatal deaths occur worldwide, many of which are due to preventable causes. Since newborns are most vulnerable soon after their birth, the timeliness in which care is sought is critical. In low-resource community-based settings, care-seeking for ill newborns is typically triggered through self-referral or via community-based health workers, who refer newborns for care at an appropriately equipped facility.

This document seeks to understand the role that active referrals by Community Health Workers play in neonatal care-seeking in low and middle-income countries, by looking into referral completion rates for newborns with danger signs predictive of mortality or major morbidity.