"After a series of national and international consultations, the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science and Technology, has launched a major national programme to identify the correlates, causes and predictive biomarkers of preterm birth under its Grand Challenge Programme.
"The first-phase of the programme has a total financial outlay of Rs 48.85 crore for a period of 5 years," Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh said here today.
The minister added that preterm deaths can be significantly reduced if causes of preterm birth is studied in detail.
According to DBT, globally, Preterm Birth (PTB) is the single largest cause of neonatal deaths.
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In India, among the total 27 million babies born annually, 3.6 million babies are born preterm, and over 300,000 of these preterm babies die each year because of associated complications.
India, with its highest number of PTBs and the highest number of preterm deaths worldwide, contributes 25 per cent of the overall global preterm related deaths. The effects of PTB extend beyond the early infancy with substantial long-term consequences in late childhood and adult life.
"Further, because differences in biological responses and life-style factors are enormous among pregnant woman, information needs to be collected on a large cohort," Singh said.