BEIJING, May 9 (Xinhuanet) -- A newborn in the developing world must fight to survive right from the start.

1 in every 5 women in sub-Saharan Africa has lost a baby in the first month of life.

    Two million babies die each year on the day they are born in developing countries due to a lack of simple measures such as providing tetanus immunisation and skilled midwives, the Save the Children charity said on Tuesday.

    In a report on "The State of the World's Mothers 2006", the U.S.-based charity said that of over 10 million children under the age of five who die each year in the developing world, around one in five die within the first 24 hours of life.

    Expectant mothers also fare poorly in undeveloped countries, with half a million women dying annually from complications during pregnancy or birth. A huge number of women give birth at home alone or with no skilled attendant.

    "In most of the developing world, childbirth is a dance with death for both mother and baby, even though 70 percent of those deaths could be prevented," said Anne Tinker, director of the group's Saving Newborn Lives Initiative. "The secret is really knowledge."

    The 50-page report released ahead of Mother's Day compiles data from the world's nations as well as the World Health Organization and UNICEF. It presents a bleak look at the challenges pregnant women and newborns face in impoverished countries, where up to 99 percent of deaths occur -- illustrating the wide gap between rich and poor nations.

    For instance, 1 in every 5 women in sub-Saharan Africa has lost a baby in the first month of life, along with 1 in every 7 women in South Asia.

    Out of 78 low-and middle-income countries examined, Liberia had the highest newborn mortality rate closely followed by Afghanistan, Sierra Leone, Iraq, Pakistan and Ivory Coast ¡ª countries known for conflict and widespread violence against women. Enditem