According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), premature birth happens when babies are born before the 37 weeks of pregnancy is completed.
Depending on the gestational age, there are three categories of preterm babies: extremely preterm (less than 28 weeks); very preterm (28 to 32 weeks); moderate to late preterm (32 to 37 weeks).
Statistics from WHO also indicates that across the world, an estimated 15 million babies are born preterm and the number is on the rise. Prematurity is the leading cause of death in children under the age of 5 years but it can be prevented with interventions such as feasible, cost-effective care.
As the world observes Prematurity Day, Face2Face Africa brings famous black people who were born prematurely.
