Maternal and newborn mortality is one of the most underfunded yet addressable challenges in global health. Without transformative action, 182,000 women and 1.2 million newborns in Africa will continue to die each year, in addition to 950,000 stillbirths. This loss of life has a profound impact—affecting families, communities, and economies alike.
Yet the vast majority of these deaths are preventable. By expanding access to quality care for pregnant mothers and newborns, we have the power to create healthier futures for generations to come.
Working in partnership with African governments, the Beginnings Fund deploys philanthropic capital to organizations and initiatives focused on strengthening the maternal and newborn health workforce, and ensuring that workforce is equipped with cost-effective, life-saving products, devices, and other innovations.
We also make targeted investments in efforts to strengthen data and referral systems to enable timely and effective care of moms and babies. Over 2024-2030, the Beginnings Fund will focus its efforts in Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.
Increase the quality, number, and distribution of MNH workforce dedicated to delivering maternal and newborn care at all levels.
Scale high-impact, evidence-based, and affordable equipment, products, and medicines across networks of hospitals and facilities.
Strengthen critical enablers of quality care, like data systems, emergency transport, and referral networks.
With input from the Technical Advisory Group, our Investment Team, led out of Nairobi, Kenya, develops and manages investments that are aligned with country plans that have been jointly designed with ministries of health, maternal and newborn health specialists, and other key stakeholders.
Our Investment Committee approves all investments and country plans before they are launched. Together, we manage the progress of country plans and investments to ensure we are on track to achieve our ambitious goal of saving over 300,000 lives and reaching 34 million women and newborns by 2030.
Investment Team
Alice Kang’ethe
CEO - The Beginnings Fund
