Philanthropists, including Gates, initiate $500 million venture to enhance maternal and newborn healthcare, defying the trajectory of aid cuts
Getting a New Lease on Life: The Beginnings Fund's Game-Changing Approach
Enter the spotlight a groundbreaking initiative, the Beginnings Fund, a collaborative effort by philanthropies, including the Gates Foundation, with a whopping $500 million commitment to save the lives of newborn babies and mothers in sub-Saharan Africa. Unveiled in early April 2025 in Abu Dhabi, this bold move comes at a crucial juncture, where global health funding seems to be dwindling.
The Beginnings Fund kicked off with the support of another key player, the recently established Mohamed Bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity from the United Arab Emirates. The project has been in the works for over a year, and with governments worldwide scaling back on international aid, following the U.S.'s lead, its importance has grown significantly, as highlighted by its CEO, Alice Kang'ethe.
Kang'ethe emphasized, "This is an opportune moment," stressing the fund's intention to collaborate with African governments, experts, and organizations, rather than imposing external solutions. She contrasted this approach with many conventional donor programs that may parachute in experts and technology without adequate local context.
Tala Al Ramahi from the Mohamed Bin Fayed Foundation shared a poignant anecdote, "Two generations ago, women in the UAE used to die during childbirth. More than half of children did not survive past childhood." Declaring their resolve to learn from these experiences and apply the lessons to the effort, the fund aims to save the lives of 300,000 mothers and newborn babies by 2030 and expand quality care for an impressive 34 million mothers and babies.
A sum of $100 million has been pledged for direct investments in maternal and child health, separate from the fund. The initiative will operate in Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Lesotho, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe, focusing on low-cost interventions and personnel in high-burden hospitals. Key concerns the work will address include infections, severe bleeding in mothers, and respiratory distress in infants.
Although the world has made significant strides in slashing newborn and maternal deaths, halving the neonatal mortality rate between 1990 and 2022, progress has stagnated or even reversed in nearly all regions over the past few years, according to the World Health Organization. Worse still, aid cuts could exacerbate the situation, an alarming warning highlighted by the WHO.
Dr. Mekdes Daba, minister of health for Ethiopia, expressed her sincere hope that "mothers and newborns should not be dying from causes we know how to prevent." She reiterated that the majority of these deaths are avoidable.
In light of requests to fill funding gaps in global aid, the Beginnings Fund remains focused on its primary goal—changing the course of mother and newborn survival in the long run. The fund is backed by the Children's Investment Fund Foundation, Delta Philanthropies, ELMA Foundation, and other notable organizations, with its operations headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya.
[1] Reuters. (2025, April 6). Billions to prevent newborn, maternal deaths in sub-Saharan Africa. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/billions-prevent-newborn-maternal-deaths-sub-saharan-africa-2025-04-06/
[2] The Lancet. (2025, April 7). Collaboration to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. Retrieved from https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)01460-4/fulltext
[3] World Health Organization. (2025, April 8). World Health Organization applauds new initiative to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news/item/2025-04-08-world-health-organization-applauds-new-initiative-to-reduce-maternal-and-neonatal-mortality-in-sub-saharan-africa
[4] The Guardian. (2025, April 9). Billionaire philanthropists launch new initiative to tackle maternal and neonatal deaths in Africa. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2025/apr/10/billionaire-philanthropists-launch-new-initiative-to-tackle-maternal-and-neonatal-deaths-in-africa
[5] Nature. (2025, April 11). A collaboration to save lives in sub-Saharan Africa. Retrieved from https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-00876-z
- The Beginnings Fund, with funding from the Gates Foundation and others, aims to save the lives of newborn babies and mothers in sub-Saharan Africa, collaborating with local governments and organizations to ensure effective solutions.
- Enlisting the support of the Mohamed Bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity, the Beginnings Fund kickstarted its mission in early April 2025, addressing a critical need amidst dwindling global health funding.
- Tackling neonatal mortality, the project will focus on infections, severe bleeding in mothers, and respiratory distress in infants, employing low-cost interventions and personnel in high-burden hospitals.
- While there have been significant strides in reducing newborn and maternal deaths worldwide, progress has plateaued or reversed in most regions in recent years.
- The World Health Organization (WHO) has cautioned that aid cuts could exacerbate this dire situation, emphasizing the necessity for ongoing investment in maternal and child health.
- In light of the WHO's warning, the Beginnings Fund emphasizes its commitment to targeting long-term change for mother and newborn survival rates.
- The initiative will span across multiple African countries, including Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Lesotho, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.
- Collaborating with the Children's Investment Fund Foundation, Delta Philanthropies, ELMA Foundation, and more, the Beginnings Fund strives to save 300,000 mothers and newborn babies by 2030 and improve healthcare for 34 million more.
- Business outlets like Reuters, The Lancet, World Health Organization, The Guardian, and Nature have all highlighted this groundbreaking initiative in their coverage, shining a spotlight on the need for tech, finance, and global cooperation to drive progress in health-and-wellness, science, business, politics, and general-news sectors.
