Global health partnership secures $806m to tackle maternal, child deaths

The Global Financing Facility for Women, Children and Adolescents (GFF) has secured $806 million in new funding commitments to accelerate efforts to end preventable maternal and child deaths.

The announcement was made on Monday on the sidelines of the World Bank Group-IMF Spring Meetings, marking the start of the GFF’s new investment round under its TRANSFORM 2030 strategy, a five-year plan aimed at scaling life-saving health interventions.

Hosted by the World Bank Group, the GFF is a country-led partnership that supports governments to strengthen health systems and expand access to essential services for women, children, and adolescents.

The $806 million pledged by governments and philanthropic organisations represents more than 80 per cent of the GFF’s $1 billion fundraising target by 2026, with additional contributions expected in the coming months.

Through its 2026–2030 strategy, the GFF plans to expand its reach from 36 to 50 high-burden countries.

It is also expected to mobilise up to $12.5 billion in World Bank financing, $17.8 billion from partners, and $21.4 billion in domestic resources to scale high-impact health and nutrition interventions.

Mamta Murthi, Vice President for People at the World Bank and Chair of the GFF Trust Fund Committee, said the investment case remains compelling.

Ms Murthi said that investing in women, children and adolescents builds human capital, reduces poverty, and creates jobs and lasting prosperity.

“With its new strategy, a fully funded GFF will help partner countries to deliver lifesaving care to hundreds of millions of people twice as fast,” she said.

Major contributors to the funding round include the governments of Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, and Norway, alongside philanthropic organisations such as the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation and the Gates Foundation.

A portion of the funding will support a newly launched Sustainable Commodities Access Programme, backed by $250 million, aimed at improving access to essential health supplies and strengthening supply chains.

Another $15 million initial investment will fund an innovation challenge programme to scale the Safer Births Bundle of Care across 10 countries.

Several global leaders stressed the importance of sustained investment in health systems.

Reem Alabali Radovan, Germany’s Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, said investing in health and gender equality is fundamental.

“All women and girls everywhere must be able to make their own decisions about their bodies and futures. Investing in health and gender equality is key to realising this fundamental human right,” she said.

Indonesia’s Deputy Health Minister, Lucia Rizka Andalucia, noted that GFF support has helped expand access to essential services, including early screening and treatment for cervical cancer.

Similarly, the UK Minister of State for International Development and Africa, Jenny Chapman, highlighted the importance of sustainable financing.

“If we care about women and children’s lives, we must care about how health systems are financed and run,” she said, noting that the GFF helps countries move from short-term fixes to lasting progress.

Guinea’s Minister of Economy and Finance, Mariama Ciré Sylla, said the Ebola and COVID-19 crises exposed the risks of weak primary healthcare systems.

She said that a weak primary health care system costs lives and poses a systemic risk to the economy, adding that Guinea’s partnership with the GFF is helping reduce healthcare costs and strengthen system resilience.

Echoing this, Sierra Leone’s Health Minister, Austin Demby, described the GFF as a critical partner in helping countries transition from donor dependence to sustainable domestic financing.

Kate Hampton, Chief Executive Officer of the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, said removing barriers such as limited access to essential supplies is key to ending preventable deaths.

Meanwhile, Tore Laerdal, founder of Laerdal Global Health, highlighted the impact of the Safer Births initiative, noting it has significantly reduced maternal and newborn deaths in pilot countries.

Civil society organisations also welcomed the funding.

Rosemary Mburu, Executive Director of WACI Health, said the GFF model has proven effective in aligning stakeholders and strengthening primary healthcare systems.

“Investing in primary health care for women, children, and adolescents is one of the smartest, most cost-effective investments that countries can make,” she said.

The new funding drive by the GFF presents an opportunity for Nigeria to strengthen its health system, scale proven interventions, and address long-standing structural gaps that contribute to preventable maternal and child deaths.

Nigeria accounts for one of the highest burdens of maternal deaths globally, contributing nearly 20 per cent of global maternal mortality, according to estimates from the World Health Organisation (WHO).

This high toll is driven by persistent gaps in primary healthcare, shortages of skilled birth attendants, weak emergency obstetric care systems, and delays in referral processes, factors that continue to put pregnant women at risk, particularly in rural and underserved communities.

A recent report by PREMIUM TIMES highlighted how systemic failures in referral systems and maternal care infrastructure can have fatal consequences. The report detailed how delays in accessing timely care exposed critical weaknesses in the country’s health system.

Despite repeated policy commitments and increased attention to maternal and child health, progress has been slow, with experts stressing the need for sustained investment in frontline healthcare services, improved referral systems, and better-equipped facilities.