The day of birth is the most dangerous day of a child's life. Infant mortality has fallen dramatically worldwide, but babies remain most at risk in the first hours and days after birth. Most of these deaths are linked to complications during delivery, premature birth, infections and breathing problems that a newborn cannot easily survive without skilled care. Because so many risks cluster at the start of life, improving care at birth has a larger effect on child survival than almost any later intervention.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.