Table 1.

Top ten research priorities for improving newborn health and birth outcomes by 2025 as ranked by 91 experts

Rank	Research questions	Domain	Total score (confidence interval)	Agreement between scorers	Answerable?	Efficacy?	Deliverability?	Impact?	Equity?
1	Can simplified neonatal resuscitation program delivered by trained health workers reduce neonatal deaths due to perinatal asphyxia?	Delivery	90 (85–91)	77	96	91	94	77	92
2	How can the health worker's skills in preventing and managing asphyxia be scaled up?	Delivery	88 (83–89)	74	96	91	89	75	86
3	Can simple clinical algorithms used by CHW identify and refer neonates with signs of infection and consequently reduce newborn mortality?	Delivery	86 (83–89)	72	92	92	92	66	88
4	How can exclusive breastfeeding in low–resource contexts be promoted to reduce neonatal infections and mortality?	Delivery	85 (79–89)	72	94	89	86	69	86
5	Can the training of CHWs in basic newborn resuscitation reduce morbidity and mortality due to perinatal asphyxia?	Delivery	83 (78–86)	67	94	84	84	64	88
6	How can the administration of injectable antibiotics at home and first level facilities to newborn with signs of sepsis be scaled up to reduce neonatal mortality?	Delivery	82 (78–86)	64	89	88	88	59	84
7	Can community–based initiation of Kangaroo Mother Care reduce neonatal mortality of clinically stable preterm and low birth weight babies?	Development	80 (74–84)	66	86	87	81	69	77
8	How can facility based initiation of Kangaroo Mother Care or continuous skin–to–skin contact be scaled up?	Delivery	80 (71–84)	62	90	82	84	62	81
9	How can chlorhexidine application to the cord be scaled up in facility births and in low NMR setting to reduce neonatal infections and neonatal mortality?	Delivery	80 (70–83)	67	91	85	89	52	81
10	How can quality of care during labour and birth be improved to reduce intrapartum stillbirths, neonatal mortality and disability?	Delivery	79 (71–82)	65	83	84	82	72	75
11*	Can community based “extra care” for preterm/LBW babies delivered by CHWs reduce neonatal morbidity and mortality in settings with poor accessibility to facility care?	Delivery	79 (70–82)	63	87	87	81	62	81

*The overall and criterion specific scores ranged from 0% to 100%. The 11^th question added to complete the list of top 10 priorities in the domain of “delivery”. The question originally ranked 5^th was omitted from this table because it was a variant of question that already received a higher overall score.