One in every 10 babies is born in the womb and every 40 seconds, one of them dies.

This is reflected in a May 10 report by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) which states that 150 million children were born in the past decade.

According to UNICEF, 13.4 million babies were born in 2020, with one million of them dying from premature birth complications.

"The effects of conflict, climate change, Covid-19 are increasing risks for women and children everywhere, urgent action is needed to prevent children from being born prematurely, as well as strengthening services for children and their families," Unicef said.

According to UNICEF, the problem of premature births is leading to the cause of infant mortality as one out of every five infant deaths occurs five days before their birth.

The report notes that sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia are the leading cause of premature births and face a higher risk of death.

The report shows that the impact of conflict, climate change and environmental degradation, Covid-19 and rising cost of living are increasing the risk to women and children.

"For example, air pollution is estimated to contribute to six million births each year. About 1 in 10 premature babies are born in the 10 countries most affected by humanitarian disasters," says UNICEF.

Dr Nahya Salim from Tanzania is quoted in the report as saying: "Now there is no excuse for silence. In hand we have the tools and knowledge to change outcomes for our most vulnerable infants.

"I am proud to see my government invest even in rural areas. The next decade can and must be a different one for those facing the problem of premature birth here in this country and everywhere."