Maternal, Newborn and Child Health in Africa

Improving access to life saving treatments for mothers, newborns and children.

The Current Situation

Many children under the age of five in Africa die of largely preventable or treatable illnesses. This accounts for almost one half the under-five deaths globally, though Africa has less than one sixth of the world's population. The risk of a child dying before completing five years of age is still highest in Sub Saharan Africa at 98 per 1,000 live births. The main causes of death for children are diarrhea, malaria, pneumonia and neonatal illnesses, as well as malnutrition, a leading, underlying cause of child mortality. All are afflictions of poverty and conditions that are both treatable and preventable.

Almost all maternal deaths (99%) occur in developing countries. More than half of these deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa alone. Most of these deaths are also preventable with cost effective and simple interventions.

Our Programs

Our Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) programs in Africa serve to strengthen health systems where most needed, and reduce life-threatening diseases that are largely preventable. This is achieved by harnessing the power of communities, ministries of health and Red Cross partners, who implement practical, proven and cost effective interventions to save the lives of women and children in Africa.

Current programs include:

• Mali
• South Sudan

Previous programs include:

• Kenya
• Senegal
• Togo
• Sierra Leone
• Niger
• Nigeria
• Sudan
• Burundi
• Zambia
• Malawi
• Mozambique
• Madagascar