The African Centre of Excellence for Population Health and Policy (ACEPHAP), working alongside Every Pregnancy, Pathfinder International, Islamic Relief in Mali and the United Kingdom, recently hosted a collaborative training that brought partners together to rethink how maternal and child health challenges can be addressed more effectively in Nigeria and Mali. Conversations went beyond strategy, focusing on people, mothers, newborns, and families whose lives depend on timely, quality care.
This collaboration is distinct for its scale of ambition and the clarity of its mission. The project is designed with a bold target: to save the lives of 25,000 women and children in Nigeria and 15,000 in Mali. Rather than relying solely on conventional funding streams, the initiative is anchored in the power of Islamic philanthropy, drawing support from donors and faith-based organisations committed to social impact. This approach not only ensures sustainability but also reflects a model of community-driven responsibility for health outcomes.
Throughout the training sessions, partners shared lessons from their diverse contexts: policy, implementation, humanitarian response, and community engagement, thus creating a rich exchange of ideas. There was a shared understanding that reducing maternal and child mortality requires more than isolated interventions; it demands coordinated systems that reach women before, during, and after childbirth. The discussions highlighted the importance of trust, cultural sensitivity, and evidence-based practices in shaping solutions that truly work on the ground.
Central to the project is a comprehensive pregnancy care bundle that will provide women with essential support throughout the entire childbirth journey. From pregnancy to delivery and the postnatal period, the bundle is designed to close critical gaps in maternal care. It includes the E-MOTIVE bundle, an ACEPHAP innovation aimed at improving the prevention and management of postpartum haemorrhage, one of the leading causes of maternal deaths. By integrating this innovation into routine care, the project seeks to translate research and policy into life-saving action.
This collaboration represents more than a project; it is a statement of what becomes possible when institutions, humanitarian organisations, and philanthropic partners align around a common vision. With ACEPHAP at the centre, the initiative stands as a hopeful example of how strategic partnerships can reshape maternal and child health outcomes across borders, turning collective intent into measurable impact.
Analysis by Nusaiba Ibrahim Na’abba, Communications Specialist
Africa Centre of Excellence for Population Health and Policy (ACEPHAP), Kano.
