HEALTH

Every child born healthy.

Grant Portfolio

We believe that big improvements in survival, health and well-being of children and their mothers are urgent, feasible and affordable. In recent years, there has been progress to reduce under-five mortality. Yet millions of children and mothers still die or are injured from preventable causes.

Our work aims to improve the outcomes of pregnancies. It focuses on providing high quality, prompt care to improve maternal and newborn survival. By measuring these outcomes, informed and swift decisions can happen before it is too late.

;

Perinatal survival

A little under half of all deaths of children under five occur in the first month of life.

And while there has been a marked decrease in the deaths of newborn babies around the world, there is still much to be done to ensure that every birth is safe and every baby is born healthy.

We work with partners to give mothers a chance for a healthy pregnancy and delivery, and to make sure that babies are given the best chance to start a healthy and happy life.

We know that interventions related to delaying first pregnancy and spacing out births, protecting pregnant women against infections, and ensuring good nutrition during pregnancy can mean the difference between a healthy birth and a parent’s worst nightmare. And we know something as simple as a checklist used during deliveries can mean a healthy future for both mother and child.

Explore some of our grants related to perinatal survival using our Grant Portfolio tool.

Synapse growth chart

Paediatric AIDS

Globally, around 1.5 million women living with HIV become pregnant each year. Without antiretroviral drugs, up to 40% of their babies will also get HIV. Without treatment, half of these children will die before their second birthday.

Despite greater access to treatment, children living with HIV are one-quarter less likely to receive treatment compared to adults.

We have made significant investments to close the big gap in HIV treatment rates between adults and children.

Our aim is to end paediatric AIDS by preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV and treating all infected children.

Learn more about work on paediatric AIDS by exploring some of our grants.

Synapse growth chart

Adolescent sexual health

An important neglected group are adolescent girls, who account for only 11% of births but more than 20% of maternal deaths and disabilities.

Pregnancy at an early age robs girls of life chances. It harms their health, education and future prospects.

Childbearing at a young age also affects the health and well-being of their children.

They are more likely to grow up stunted, where their bodies and brains do not develop properly. This vicious cycle holds back generation after generation.

Click here to learn more about our work on adolescent sexual health.

Investments

Current multi-year investments can be explored below.

To learn more about closed grants, use our grant portfolio tool.