Abu Dhabi Launches USD 500M Health Fund for African Mothers & Newborns
With a USD 500 million commitment, the Beginnings Fund aims to prevent 300,000 deaths across 10 African countries by 2030.
The Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity has launched a new global health initiative targeting maternal and newborn survival in Africa. Called the Beginnings Fund, the USD 500 million programme will focus on scaling access to quality care for women and newborns across 10 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, where maternal and infant mortality remain among the highest in the world.
The Fund’s target is to prevent over 300,000 maternal and newborn deaths and improve care for 34 million people by 2030. The initial USD 125 million grant from the Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation enabled additional contributions from global philanthropic partners such as the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, Delta Philanthropies, The ELMA Foundation, the Gates Foundation, and others.
In sub-Saharan Africa, the first month of life remains the most dangerous for newborns, while roughly 70% of maternal deaths also occur in the region. Despite the preventable nature of most of these deaths, maternal and newborn health continues to be one of the most underfunded areas in global healthcare. Without significant intervention, more than 1.2 million newborns, 182,000 mothers, and nearly 950,000 stillbirths are projected annually in the region.
Over the next five years, the Beginnings Fund will work with governments in Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Lesotho, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. The programme will prioritise investments in high-burden hospitals and health centres, focusing on training healthcare workers, strengthening referral systems, and delivering low-cost, evidence-based interventions.
