A major new philanthropic initiative, the Beginnings Fund, was launched on Tuesday by the Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity and its partners, aiming to significantly improve maternal and newborn survival in Africa by 2030.
The fund, announced at a ceremony in Kanad Hospital, Al Ain, will work with 10 African countries to strengthen health systems and prevent over 300,000 maternal and newborn deaths. It seeks to enhance access to quality care for 34 million mothers and babies, according to the Abu Dhabi Media Office.
Part of a $600 million joint commitment, the initiative includes $100 million in direct support for maternal and newborn health. The Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation contributed $125 million, unlocking further funding from the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, Delta Philanthropies, The ELMA Foundation, Gates Foundation, and others.
“Through the Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity, we are honored to support the Beginnings Fund in giving more mothers and their children the opportunity of a healthy start,” said Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. “This journey taught us the profound importance of quality health care that is available to all, at every stage of life.”
The Fund will focus investments on hospitals, health centers, and referral networks in high-burden areas — where most maternal and newborn deaths occur and are largely preventable. It will prioritize low-cost, evidence-based tools, trained personnel, and better data and referral systems.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organisation, said: “Every seven seconds, a mother or baby dies a preventable death. We welcome the launch of the Beginnings Fund and look forward to working closely with all those involved to end these preventable tragedies.”
Countries set to benefit include Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Lesotho, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.
Ethiopia’s Minister of Health, Dr Mekdes Daba, emphasized, “Mothers and newborns should not be dying from causes we know how to prevent. We all have a shared responsibility to build resilient and well-resourced health systems.”
Sir Chris Hohn, Founder of the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, added: “Ending this travesty is within our reach… But this should only be the beginning.”
Without urgent action, over 1.2 million newborns and 182,000 mothers may continue to die each year from preventable causes in sub-Saharan Africa — along with nearly a million stillbirths. The Beginnings Fund aims to change that trajectory.
