Mothers play a critical role in the family and society, yet women in low-resource countries and communities often lack access to safe, equitable, and quality maternal and infant healthcare. According to the most recent data, over 800 women die each day from preventable complications related to pregnancy and childbirth. For each of those, an additional 20 to 30 women suffer delivery-related injuries, infections, and disabilities. Meanwhile, millions of children under the age of five die annually—the majority from preventable and treatable causes, such as birth asphyxia, pneumonia, congenital anomalies, diarrhea, and malaria. In 2019, the last year in which figures are available, there were approximately 5.2 million child deaths.
Access to maternal and infant healthcare is often determined by location, socio-economic status, and race. Inadequate maternal healthcare can result in undetected, severe complications for both the mother and child—that are mostly preventable through timely intervention, treatment, and adequate care.
In honor of International Women’s Day, our partners at The Patchwork Collective, ICONIQ Impact, and Lever for Change launched the Maternal & Infant Health Award a $10 million grant competition to help improve maternal and infant health outcomes around the world.
Interested organizations must register to apply before 5 p.m. U.S. Pacific Time on Thursday, June 2, 2022. Complete applications are due before 5 p.m. U.S. Pacific Time on Thursday, June 30, 2022, and will undergo several rounds of rigorous evaluation, including an administrative review, a peer-to-peer review, and a final evaluation by a panel of experts.
Visit the website for more details on the Maternal & Infant Health Award.
