Only one out of every five babies born in African hospitals is cared for by staff with the skills and simple equipment to resuscitate them if they do not breathe at birth.
"This is a crucial missed opportunity to save lives," reads the report.
Gary Darmstadt of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation said: "This massive health gap demands more visibility and it requires more funding.
"But it also needs a more aggressive approach to improving the performance of health systems and much stronger commitment to innovation."
In a report issued Monday, Save the Children said child deaths around the world could be cut dramatically for just 40 billion dollars (27.2 billion euros) a year, as babies often die from easily treatable diseases.
Source-AFP
ARU