Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity, partners launch ‘Beginnings Fund’ in Africa

AL AIN / WAM

The Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity and its partners today announced the launch of “Beginnings Fund” a major new philanthropic initiative committed to accelerating maternal and newborn survival in Africa. The launch took place at Kanad Hospital in Al Ain, the first modern hospital to be established in Abu Dhabi.
The event was attended by H.H. Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Development and Fallen Heroes’ Affairs and Chairman of Erth Zayed Philanthropies, of which the Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity is an affiliate. He was joined by Abdulrahman bin Mohamed Al Owais, Minister of Health and Prevention; and Sheikh Shakhboot bin Nahyan Al Nahyan, Minister of State, and other key partners.
It was also attended by Mansoor Ibrahim Al Mansoori, Chairman of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi; Dr. Maha Barakat, Assistant Minister for Medical Affairs and Life Sciences; Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda, Minister of Health of Malawi; Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana, Minister of Health of Rwanda; Dr. Mekdes Daba, Minister of Health of Ethiopia; and Nassor Ahmed Mazrui, Minister of Health of Zanzibar.
The Beginnings Fund will work in partnership with African governments, national organisations, and experts to prevent over 300,000 deaths and enhance access to quality care for 34 million mothers and babies by 2030.
The establishment of the Beginnings Fund is part of a joint philanthropic commitment of nearly $600 million for maternal and newborn survival, including $100 million in direct funding for initiatives that further the Beginnings Fund’s mission.
This joint commitment was enabled by a $125 million grant from the Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity that unlocked matched funding from the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, Delta Philanthropies, The ELMA Foundation, and Gates Foundation, with further funding from Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, Patchwork Collective, and others.
H.H. Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed said, “Through the Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity, we are honoured to support the Beginnings Fund in giving more mothers and children the opportunity of a healthy start.
In the earliest days of the UAE, our nation faced high maternal and newborn mortality rates. This journey taught us the profound importance of quality healthcare that is available to all, at every stage of life, and this knowledge continues to guide us today. Through this partnership, we further our dedication to working hand-in-hand with governments and partners to build a healthier, more hopeful future for generations to come.”
Newborn deaths in the first month of life are the single biggest driver of mortality in sub-Saharan Africa, where 70 percent of maternal deaths also occur. Most of these deaths are preventable with trained health workers providing essential care to mothers and babies.
“The world has made real progress on reducing the number of maternal and child deaths in the last two decades, thanks to dedicated health workers and governments, backed by investment and technical know-how,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of World Health Organisation. “But still, 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.”
The Ethiopian Minister of Health said, “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 that can safeguard the life of every pregnant woman and newborn. With the right investments and innovations, countries around the world have succeeded in transforming maternal and newborn care. There is no reason that we cannot do the same.”
In collaboration with country-level implementation partners, the Beginnings Fund will operate in up to ten countries – Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Lesotho, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe – and continue to pool and invest multi-year funding.
The initial commitment from its founding philanthropies is designed to catalyse further funding from new donors, ensuring long-term sustainability.
The Fund will focus on strengthening workforces and equipping facilities with a bundle of low-cost, evidence-based interventions. By harnessing innovations, empowering a skilled workforce, and building strong data and referral systems, the Beginnings Fund aims to support governments in giving mothers and babies the best chance at a healthy future.
Robyn Calder, President of ELMA Philanthropies, said, “The ELMA Foundation is impelled to pool our collective optimism and funding with others in the Beginnings Fund, so that we can move beyond making periodic grants and instead deploy significant capital to the tools, technologies, and people that will dramatically and sustainably reduce maternal and newborn mortality in Africa, preventing the unnecessary deaths of hundreds of thousands of mothers and newborns – and the devastation such profound loss wreaks on families and communities – for generations to come.”
“In the past decade, researchers have pioneered remarkable new ways to keep mothers and their children alive and healthy—but these solutions still aren’t reaching the people who need them most,” said Mark Suzman, CEO of the Gates Foundation. “We’re committed to working with government, health workers, and partners like the Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity, CIFF, Delta Philanthropies, ELMA, and others, to address this unacceptable disparity and accelerate progress on maternal and newborn health.”
Alice Kang’ethe, Chief Executive Officer of the Beginnings Fund, said that African governments, with support from philanthropic and bilateral organisations, are at the forefront of advancing maternal and newborn health and making groundbreaking innovations. The continent is making remarkable strides, but achieving lasting change requires collaborative action.
She added, “I would like to express my gratitude to the African governments, national organizations and experts, and our founding investors who are part of this unique collaborative effort to drive lasting change across Africa.”