On Thursday 19 March 2026, the NGO and Communities Delegations to the Unitaid Board convened a learning session on Maternal and Newborn Health (MNH), bringing together civil society and community partners to reflect on the current landscape, persistent gaps, and emerging opportunities to accelerate progress. Despite notable gains over the past two decades, maternal and newborn health outcomes remain deeply unequal, with many communities still facing barriers to accessing life-saving commodities, quality services, and essential innovations. The session aimed to build a shared understanding of these challenges while strengthening the ability of civil society to engage strategically in shaping solutions.
The discussion opened with reflections on the urgency of collective action to end preventable maternal and newborn deaths, setting the tone for a rich and practical exchange. Insights from ThinkWell highlighted key findings from the latest MNH landscape analysis, pointing to critical gaps in access, financing, and health system delivery. Complementing this, Unitaid shared an overview of its portfolio approach, illustrating how targeted investments and market-shaping efforts are helping to expand access to high-impact maternal and newborn health products in low- and middle-income countries.
A central feature of the session was the grounding of these global perspectives in lived realities. Community voices underscored the importance of demand creation, advocacy, and meaningful engagement with affected populations to ensure that innovations reach those who need them most. These contributions served as a powerful reminder that improving MNH outcomes requires not only technical solutions, but also sustained efforts to address structural barriers, inequities, and gaps in accountability.
The session concluded with an interactive discussion and a call to action for continued collaboration across civil society, communities, and global health partners. Participants were encouraged to build on the momentum through upcoming convenings and ongoing learning opportunities, including the ENEWE webinar series and Unitaid’s forthcoming symposium. Strengthening partnerships and aligning efforts across the ecosystem will be critical to accelerating progress and ensuring that no woman or newborn is left behind.
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