WHO: Over 1M premature babies die every year

"More than 3,000 premature babies will die in the world today. That's a day's statistics, and it makes more than 1 million babies a year," said the World Health Organization (WHO) Representative in Azerbaijan Hande Harmanci.

The WHO official added that most of the surviving babies would have vision, hearing, and speech problems throughout their lives: "All these cases are upsetting. But the lives of these newborns can be saved with affordable medical interventions. Awareness in this direction should be increased.

"I am also a mother of two premature babies. Had I not been aware of the measures taken in this area, my children might have not survived. The medicine for treating underdeveloped lungs of premature infants is cheaper than $1 in the country. However, it is unavailable in some states," she noted.