Every year over 300,000 mothers die from complications around pregnancy and childbirth. Ninety-nine percent occur in low- and middle-income countries and unintended pregnancies, particularly among adolescents, significantly contribute to these deaths. For children, the first four weeks of life are the most vulnerable. Each year, an estimated 2.6 million infants are stillborn. Almost one million newborns do not live past their first day, while another million do not survive their first week. Simple and effective interventions are available to prevent unintended pregnancies, treat pregnancy and labor complications and save the lives of newborns, but many countries face critical gaps which prevent the interventions from being implemented.

This approach was first piloted in Ethiopia, before being tested at scale in Nigeria. The program is now rolling out across several other countries to significantly and sustainably reduce mother and infant deaths. We work with manufacturers to increase access to new and underused quality products that save lives by increasing affordability and consolidating demand. We also work with governments to improve national supply chains and service delivery systems to deliver these products to women and girls no matter where they are.