Opinion: How to sustainably accelerate maternal health outcomes

On the sidelines of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Devex and MSD for Mothers hosted the event, The 2030 agenda: Sustainably accelerating maternal health outcomes. Photo by: James Maher

During the 77th World Health Assembly, a critical country-led resolution was adopted, calling for member states to take decisive actions to enhance maternal and newborn health. Alarmingly, it is likely that more than 4 out of 5 countries will not achieve their national maternal mortality target by 2030, underscoring the urgency of this initiative.

Member states passed Resolution A77, in May 2024, which acknowledges that 64 countries are on track to miss the Sustainable Development Goal, or SDG, target for newborn mortality, 59 for under-5 child mortality, and 46 for maternal mortality. It underscores the need for a comprehensive approach to improving access to maternity, sexual, and reproductive health services, and highlights the significant burden on already stretched health systems and fiscal constraints globally, especially in low- and middle-income countries where most of the 287,000 annual maternal deaths occur.

Against this backdrop, a panel discussion titled The 2030 agenda: Sustainably accelerating maternal health outcomes, on the sidelines of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly gathered leading experts such as Pascale Allotey, director of the Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research at the World Health Organization; Dr. Ayman Abdelmohsen, chief of the sexual and reproductive health and rights branch at the U.N. Population Fund, or UNFPA; and Dr. Muyi Aina, executive director and CEO of the Nigerian National Primary Health Care Development Agency. Each speaker shed light on the ways a variety of entities from both the private and public sectors play a critical role in advancing equitable access to quality maternal health care, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. The following are heightened areas of focus in which leaders are seeking new solutions to sustain progress.

Understanding the critical need to integrate women’s perspective for better impact

During a fireside chat to kick off the event, Angela Nguku, founder and executive director of the White Ribbon Alliance Kenya, stated, “We cannot focus on strengthening the health system alone, we must center women and their needs in our efforts. We need multisectoral action and we need to move with dignity, respect, and speed.”

There is a clear demand for designing maternal care around the voices and needs of women, and these needs go beyond the care delivered inside of health facilities. Supporting women with health education and ensuring access to essential resources, such as medicines and adequate transportation, are key strategies for enabling informed decision-making regarding women’s health.

Past studies advocate for health systems that are trusted and responsive to women's needs, calling for a shift in focus from frameworks to the actual experiences and demands of women along with the people delivering care. “The health system is not only having a clinic where trained midwives, doctors or commodities are there. A health system is a person, whether this person is a woman or a man, making informed decisions about their health and having access to whatever they need in terms of information and services to be healthy,” said UNFPA’s Abdelmohsen.  

Fostering partnerships to extend the reach of quality care for better outcomes

Much like the vital need to integrate more voices from women, the ability to improve maternal health care at large extends beyond medical care. A comprehensive approach is essential to effectively address the diverse determinants influencing maternal and newborn health including social, economic, and educational factors. No one entity can tackle the multidimensional challenges at hand, and enabling more seamless collaboration across sectors will expand the reach and sustainability of maternal health programs and ensure that interventions are not only impactful but also long lasting.

WHO’s Allotey stated: “Quality of care must include dignity and respect within its definition. Country acceleration plans, linked to national strategies, must be central to our efforts moving forward.” It is important to recognize that the health system is not a function of the government by itself and that local entities, entrepreneurs, and innovators can solve many of the challenges related to health system gaps.

Organizations such as MSD for Mothers are committed to building multisectoral collaboration by leveraging the strengths of the private sector to deliver meaningful changes in maternal health outcomes. For example, MSD for Mothers and WHO are investing in country-led solutions to combat postpartum hemorrhage, which is the leading global cause of maternal deaths, through sustainable interventions. This collaborative effort is crucial for addressing the complex challenges faced in this field.

Tackling global infrastructure hurdles by facilitating change at the local level

Acknowledging strengths stemming from both the private and public sectors is a critical component to forward progress. The private sector offers a global perspective and innovative solutions at a large scale. With this expertise, more consistent, long-term strategic partnerships are needed to help facilitate country acceleration plans for maternal health care.

It’s been proven that the tools to improve maternal health can be found at a lower cost. Where attention is needed is how to tap into lower-cost tools to create more equitable and widespread access to care. Examples of less expensive tools include multiple micronutrient supplementation, where an additional 13 micronutrients required for a healthier pregnancy and newborn are available at the same cost as traditional iron-folic acid supplements; calibrated drapes that can detect volume of blood loss in postpartum hemorrhage and activate a health care worker to take further action; and continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, devices that can provide respiratory support for premature newborns.

UNFPA and similar organizations have a pivotal role in supporting country-led plans. A coordinated approach that brings together various stakeholders within health systems is vital to enhancing maternal health outcomes. Bringing together acceleration plans that help accentuate a country’s own plan, defined at the subnational level, is what’s needed to enact sustainable change.

Bringing words into action

Insights gained from the panel discussion reflect a collective commitment to transforming maternal health care and align with government’s call for more collaborative multi-stakeholder approaches to addressing health systems gaps. By prioritizing women’s voices, integrating various social determinants, and emphasizing local leadership and collaboration, stakeholders can make significant strides toward achieving global maternal and newborn health targets. Immediate action is essential to ensure that the health needs of women are met effectively and sustainably.

“When it comes to innovation, we are not inventing rocket science here,” concluded Prashant Yadav, affiliate professor of technology and operations management at INSEAD. Together, it is important to recognize that the health system is not a function of the government by itself and we will need to work together to leverage the innovative ideas from local entities and the local entrepreneurs to solve many big problems.

Watch the full recording of the event.

The Funding the Future series is supported by funding from MSD, through its MSD for Mothers program, and is the sole responsibility of the authors. MSD for Mothers is an initiative of Merck & Co. Inc., in Kenilworth, N.J., U.S.

More reading:

Opinion: Improving health systems through private sector engagement

Exclusive: A global north-south battle over a maternal health alliance

The push to reduce maternal mortality in the remote regions of Nepal