ACEPHAP, Every Pregnancy, Pathfinder and Islamic Relief Foundation converge ahead of maternal and child mortality project

Last week unfolded not as a routine meeting of institutions, but as a shared moment of purpose, where ideas, experiences, and commitments converged around one urgent goal: saving the lives of women and children. The African Center of Excellence for Population Health and Policy (ACEPHAP), working alongside Every Pregnancy, Pathfinder International, and Islamic Relief in Mali and the United Kingdom, 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, centering on people, mothers, newborns, and families whose lives depend on timely, quality care.

What makes this collaboration distinctive is the scale of its 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 organizations 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 give women access to essential support across 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 hemorrhage, 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 organizations, and philanthropic partners align around a common vision. With ACEPHAP at the center, 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.

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