A new $500 million fund has been allocated to address maternal and newborn mortality in Africa, with Ghana and Nigeria named among the key recipients.
- A $500 million fund, the Beginnings Fund, was launched to tackle maternal and newborn mortality in Africa over five years.
- Priority countries include Ghana, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Lesotho, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Malawi.
- The fund is backed by leading philanthropic entities and has secured 90% of the targeted amount, with additional $100 million for accelerated initiatives.
The Beginnings Fund, an initiative of a coalition of global philanthropic partners, announced the financial support in a bid to improve survival rates for mothers and infants across ten African countries over the next five years.
According to CEO of the Beginnings Fund, Alice Kang’ethe, priority countries include Zimbabwe, Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Lesotho, Rwanda, Tanzania, Malawi, and Nigeria.
She added that about 90% of the funding has already been secured, with discussions ongoing to finalize partnership frameworks with each country.
Notably, Africa shoulders the highest impact of child-birth related mortality worldwide, with a record of 178,000 maternal deaths and over a million newborn deaths annually. The continent bears a staggering toll of nearly 1 million stillbirths annually and 70% of global maternal deaths, many preventable.
Experts warn that without accelerated and targeted interventions, countries like Nigeria and Ghana risk falling short of the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals for maternal and child health. However, timely action could still pave the way for progress.
The Philanthropists backing the fund
The Beginnings Fund, backed by global philanthropists including the Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity, Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), Gates Foundation, Delta Philanthropies, and ELMA Foundation, hinted that it has secured an additional $100 million for direct investments to accelerate its objectives.
The Fund seeks to strengthen health systems and address resource shortages in Nigeria, where maternal mortality reaches 512 deaths per 100,000 live births.
Similarly, in Ghana, which has reduced maternal mortality by nearly half since 2000, the Fund will target regional inequalities, as recent reports highlight persistent disparities in healthcare access.
“We aim to strengthen, not substitute, existing systems,” Kang’ethe emphasized.
“Sustainability is a core principle, evident in our efforts to help governments assume the costs of expanded health services and workforce investments.
This includes ensuring governments can gradually absorb the cost of expanded health workforces and maintain improved systems beyond the Fund’s timeline.”
Olamilekan Okebiorun
