Premature birth of babies is the leading cause of death of newborn babies in the Pacific Islands, according to Dr Karen Allen, the UN Children's Fund UNICEF Pacific Representative in Suva, Fiji at the end of November.

Dr Karen Allen said that premature death is the leading cause of newborn deaths (babies in the first four weeks of life), and it is the second-leading cause of newborn deaths after pneumonia in children under the age of five.

According to UNICEF statistics; in Fiji, the Neonatal Mortality Rate NMR accounts for 50% of the under-5 years old deaths U5MR, and 60% of the Infant Mortality Rate IMR of children.

Kiribati has corresponding figures on NMR accounting for 41% and 51% of U5MR and IMR respectively.

In the Solomon Islands the figures are 42% NMR and 50% of U5MR, and IMR respectively.

Vanuatu recorded the figures are 50%f NMR and 57% of U5MR, and IMR respectively.

In Tonga's case, according to the 2010 Annual Report of Tonga's Ministry of Health, it provides a Paediatric Service to children from age 0-14, a total of 38,831 or 38% of Tonga's total population of over hundred and three thousands.

It also stated that lot of efforts have been made to identify all deaths in the Kingdom both in hospitals and communities in order to work out the most accurate Child Health indicators.

The Neonatal Mortality Rate was found to be 10.4% and 22.4% for the under-5 years old deaths.