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- Philanthropists unveil a $600 million fund to prevent maternal deaths
Philanthropists unveil a $600 million fund to prevent maternal deaths
 | A coalition led by the Gates Foundation has launched a $500 million fund, along with a $100 million direct investment, to improve maternal and newborn health across ten countries in Africa. This initiative aims to implement scalable, evidence-based solutions to reduce preventable deaths, which are currently worsened by climate change. |
In February 2025, doctors in Nigeria linked climate change to adverse maternal outcomes, highlighting heatwaves, displacement, food insecurity, and pollution as significant barriers to adequate pregnancy and postnatal care.
Climate change poses substantial threats to maternal health by worsening existing vulnerabilities, including gestational diabetes, hypertensive disorders, preterm birth, and stillbirth.
While maternal deaths in sub-Saharan Africa have decreased by 40% since 2000, the region still accounts for 70% of global cases. Each year, 182,000 women and 1.2 million newborns die from preventable causes, in addition to 950,000 stillbirths…Read more (2 min)
 | Zurmi General Hospital in northern Nigeria has been relying on ageing fuel-powered generators for six years. This reliance has led to costly, unreliable power and frequent outages, disrupting essential medical services. To address this issue, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) recently installed a 250-kilowatt solar power system. |
This project showcases sustainable, climate-conscious healthcare solutions in the region, providing reliable power both day and night.
Israel Mushore, the MSF energy manager responsible for the solar installation, explains how the shift to renewable energy has enhanced the hospital's ability to deliver life-saving care. "Now, with solar power, we have a stable and reliable energy source," Mushore states.
Find the full conversation here… Read more (2 min)
 | Kenyan digital health firm MyDawa has secured a new round of investment from five global healthcare giants to enhance its AI-driven infrastructure and accelerate its expansion across East Africa. Founded in 2017, the platform combines online consultations, lab testing, e-prescriptions, chronic care, and last-mile delivery into a single, seamless service. |
The company posits that AI can strengthen African public health systems by providing enhanced analyses of diverse data streams to predict disease outbreaks and model the effects of climate change.
Africa experiences over 160 disease outbreaks annually. The application of AI may well improve the speed, scale, and accuracy of outbreak detection, offering real-time information for timely responses.
Our take: It is essential to tailor AI solutions to Africa's unique needs, ensuring equitable access and sustainable development…Read more (2 min)
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Wellcome Trust outlines the newly developed tools to tackle TB and why Africa so desperately needs them.
Events
🗓️ Attend the Africa Health Business Symposium in Nigeria (July 16)
🗓️ Participate in the World Health Expo in Kenya (October 6)
Jobs
🧑⚕️Be the next Manager, Patient Services at Prairie Mountain Health (Liberia)
🧑⚕️Become a Reproductive, Maternal & Newborn Health Officer at WHO (Zambia)
Seen on LinkedIn
Avtar Dhillon, a tele-nurse of HealthLink, says, “Health technologies don't replace human connection, they enable it. When clinicians aren't buried in repetitive information gathering, they can focus on what computers can't do: listen deeply, show compassion, and deliver personalized care.”
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