A report released by the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) indicates that 10 African countries are among the 11 with the world's highest incidence of newborn mortalities.
The report also states that the continent is the most dangerous place on earth to be born, EWN reports.
Unicef says global infant deaths remain alarmingly high, especially in the lower-income countries.
Worldwide, on average 27 out of 1,000 newborn babies die – but in the Central African Republic, for example, the figure is 42.3 in 1,000.
Unicef executive director Henrietta Fore said the tragedy is that most of the newborn deaths can be prevented.
"The number of deaths of children under five has halved in the past quarter of a century, but clearly we are failing babies in the world's poorest countries," Fore said.
According to the report, Pakistan has the worst newborn fatality rate in the world, losing 42.6 infants per 1,000, but the next 10 countries on the list are all in Africa. South Africa is rated at number 11, with a mortality rate of 12.4 per 1,000.
1. Pakistan - 45.6
2. Central African Republic - 42.3
3. Afghanistan - 40
4. Somalia - 38.8
5. Lesotho - 38.5
6. Guinea-Bissau - 38.2
7. South Sudan - 37.9
8. Ivory Coast - 36.6
9. Mali - 35.7
10.Chad - 35.1
11. South Africa - 12.4