A significant $500 million fund, named the Beginnings Fund, has been launched in Abu Dhabi to bolster maternal and neonatal health across sub-Saharan Africa.
This initiative arrives at a crucial time, as Western nations are notably reducing aid to the continent.
The fund unites philanthropists, including the Gates Foundation and the Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity, spearheaded by the UAE president.
Organizers aim to reach the $500 million target by 2030, having already secured $450 million in pledges.
The fund’s ambitious goals include preventing over 300,000 deaths and enhancing access to quality care for 34 million mothers and babies within the same timeframe.
The launch comes against the backdrop of an aid freeze implemented earlier this year by US President Donald Trump, which has significantly impacted humanitarian budgets.
A spokeswoman for the Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity emphasized the critical timing, noting that while philanthropy cannot fully compensate for aid cuts, the Beginnings Fund will strategically target essential products, personnel, and systems to improve maternal and neonatal healthcare.
Over the next five years, the fund intends to collaborate with ten African nations: Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Lesotho, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.
The statement highlighted the dire statistics in sub-Saharan Africa, where most deaths occur within the first month of life, and the region accounts for 70 percent of global maternal deaths.
Annually, 182,000 women and 1.2 million newborns die from preventable causes, alongside 950,000 stillbirths in the region. The UAE, despite facing accusations of involvement in conflicts in Sudan and Libya, denies any military role.