In 2010 USAID East Africa and partners the Laerdal Foundation, the Regional Center for Quality of Health Care (RCQHC) and the East, Central and Southern African Health Community (ECSA-HC) initiated a three-year project to reduce newborn deaths across 10 East African countries, under a USAID-supported Helping Babies Breathe initiative.
Globally, more than 3 million babies die every year within the first weeks of life due to preventable infections, premature birth and breathing problems ('asphyxia').