However, the pace of decline has fallen behind that of post-neonatal mortality. As a result, the proportion of deaths occurring in the first 28 days of life has increased, from 37 per cent in 1990 to 44 per cent in 2012. The best possible way of reducing neonatal mortality is through greater investment in maternal care during the first 24 hours after birth, particularly in labour and delivery care and other high-impact interventions.