Report from the inaugural 2025 Asia-UK Maternal-Neonatal Infection and Immunity Network (AMMuNet) symposium

In an ongoing effort to improve global pediatric outcomes, the burden of maternal and neonatal infections remains a formidable obstacle, with South Asia bearing a disproportionately high burden 1 , 2 , 3 . According to the latest Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD 2021), South Asia reported 3 million stillbirths (≥22 weeks’ gestation) in 2021 alone, contributing almost one-third of the total stillbirths worldwide 4 . A South Asian cohort study reported total perinatal deaths (stillbirths and early neonatal deaths) reaching as high as 61 per 1000 births 5 . Similarly, the region reportedly contributes 36% of global newborn deaths, with nearly 4 million cases of neonatal sepsis and other infections annually 6 . In Nepal, the stillbirth rate (≥22 weeks’ gestation) is roughly 15 per 1000 births and neonatal mortality rate is 21 per 1000 live births 7 , 8 .