Over the past decade, gains in maternal and child survival have largely plateaued, hindered by limited public sector financing, insufficient investment in health systems and workforce shortages, and shocks from global crises. Every seven seconds, a woman or baby dies due to complications related to pregnancy or childbirth. These are tragedies that should be prevented and signal deeper systemic gaps in access, equity, and quality of care.
To accelerate progress in maternal, newborn, and child health to achieve Sustainable Development Goals, or SDG, targets 3.1 and 3.2, the 77th World Health Assembly, or WHA 77, in 2024 saw a landmark resolution passed, signaling renewed global resolve to address stalled progress. The resolution reaffirmed that protecting the health of women and children remains both a moral imperative and a foundational investment for sustainable development.
To build on that momentum, MSD for Mothers and the Every Woman Every Newborn Everywhere, or EWENE, initiative convened a high-level panel during WHA78. The conversation brought together leaders from government, the private sector, and frontline organizations to discuss how multisectoral collaboration and country-led action can help turn commitments into measurable progress.
Below are three key takeaways from the discussion as global health leaders strive to deliver on the SDG targets by 2030:
Strengthen health systems and support frontline providers
Health systems can only be as strong as the people equipped to serve within them. Ensuring frontline providers — especially midwives and nurses — have the training, tools, and autonomy to deliver respectful, quality care is central to saving lives.
Anna af Ugglas, chief executive of the International Confederation of Midwives, emphasized the underutilized potential of midwives in addressing sexual and reproductive, maternal and newborn health, or MNH, gaps. “Midwives are the backbone of maternal and newborn health. They can provide up to 90% of services, yet today only 10% are being utilized. It is time to look more deeply at how we can make better use of health professionals to meet women’s needs.”
Speakers emphasized that effective care relies not only on access but also on system readiness. Dr. Ayman Abdelmohsen, chief of the sexual and reproductive health and rights branch at the United Nations Population Fund, or UNFPA, pointed to financing limitations as a critical barrier to stronger health systems. “Access is not enough,” he said. “Without quality of care, universal health coverage is an empty promise. Quality means having the commodities, enough staff, usable data, and financing — these are the building blocks.”
To illustrate effective system coordination, Dr. Lisa Noguchi, director of maternal and newborn health at Jhpiego, shared a powerful example from Kenya: “A woman with a life-threatening ectopic pregnancy needed emergency care. Instead of moving her to a different facility, the surgeon was able to travel more quickly and safely to her. That’s what happens when referral systems and Networks of Care work — collaboration saves lives.” In contrast, she warned of the devastating impact when systems fail: “A hospital had run out of postpartum hemorrhage medications. Word spread, and women stopped coming. That is terrifying — for midwives and for women — but it’s the reality in far too many settings.”
Across panelists, the urgency to address current financing limitations as a necessary element to strengthening health systems was clear, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where domestic funding is under pressure and external aid is declining.
Dr. Anshu Banerjee, director of maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health and ageing at the World Health Organization, highlighted the critical need to address stalled progress through stronger data use, equity-driven investment, and primary health care reform. “Since 2015, there's been stagnation — in some cases, no progress, or even regression. If we really want to achieve the SDGs, we must focus on the subnational level, identify where progress is lagging, and increase investments there.”
Elevate women’s voices for meaningful change
A strategic and community-driven approach to maternal health was highlighted as essential to delivering sustainable impact. Panelists highlighted the importance of designing care models that center the lived experiences of women, while also enabling systems to be more accountable to those they serve.
Jhpiego’s Dr. Noguchi underscored how progress begins with listening — and how partners must align to support what women and countries truly need. “Over the past week, we've heard health ministers and their senior staff remind everyone to pause and listen to country priorities … Everyone who wants to be helpful during this challenging time needs to recognize that.” She reflected on the importance of trusted partnerships, sharing how Jhpiego, with support from MSD for Mothers, has helped countries strengthen provider training, quality care, and referral pathways in ways that reflect women’s preferences and provider realities. In March 2026, the AlignMNH Secretariat, led by Jhpiego in collaboration with the government of Kenya and sponsors such as MSD for Mothers, will host the International Maternal Newborn Health Conference, which will feature a new conference track dedicated to elevating the voices of youth, women, and families.
This kind of collaboration, grounded in respect and mutual learning, is critical to transforming maternal health from policy promise to lived experience.
Forge strong alliances for collective impact
Sustained improvements in maternal and newborn health requires alignment across partners and sectors, especially as countries seek to maximize impact through more efficient and coordinated investments.
UNFPA’s Dr. Abdelmohsen spotlighted the EWENE initiative as a powerful vehicle to unite technical and programmatic efforts, emphasizing that it provides a coordinated platform for technical, programmatic, and national partners to work together and deliver measurable impact at the country level. He also called for a shift in the way development partners approach global health support — moving from traditional project-based funding toward health system financing that is accountable and results-driven. “We must shift from funding to financing. Financing means supporting systems based on what will deliver impact. It’s about mutual accountability.”
Examples of this kind of alignment were shared throughout the session, including in the Americas. Dr. Rhonda Sealey-Thomas, assistant director at the Pan American Health Organization, or PAHO, illustrated how targeted health initiatives can serve as entry points for broader systems strengthening. She remarked on PAHO’s collaboration with MSD for Mothers in Latin America and how it is helping strengthen systems related to addressing postpartum hemorrhage in Honduras and Peru. She also cited an example of an initiative to improve syphilis surveillance and strengthen the capacities of prenatal care personnel for syphilis and congenital syphilis.
Dr. Sealey-Thomas and fellow panelists urged listeners to pursue deeper collaboration grounded in subnational data and tailored to country realities, such as that of PAHO and MSD for Mothers. Together, these collaborations demonstrate how multisectoral coordination and country-driven action are essential to advancing the maternal health agenda both regionally and globally.
A path forward
The session closed with a powerful call-to-action from the next generation of global health leaders. Enas Omasa, liaison officer for the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations, called for a health system that centers around dignity, justice, and partnership with young people. Omasa reflected, “Behind every data point is a story. Behind every policy is a person. And behind every future is a choice we make today.”
As global health leaders reaffirm their commitment to maternal and newborn survival, there is renewed energy to not only meet SDG targets, but to do so in a way that is country-led, equity-driven, and built to last. The path ahead requires bold leadership, deep partnership, and unwavering focus on the people at the heart of this work: women, children, and the frontline providers who care for them.
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 Rahway, N.J., U.S.A.
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