Abu Dhabi launched a $500 million maternal and neonatal health fund Tuesday, targeting sub-Saharan Africa as Western aid declines sharply.
Dubbed the Beginnings Fund, the initiative aims to save over 300,000 lives and improve healthcare access for 34 million mothers and newborns.
Driven by the UAE’s Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity and supported by the Gates Foundation, it has already secured $450 million in pledges.
Organizers have set a 2030 deadline to fully fund the project, focusing on ten African nations over the next five years.
Countries set to benefit include Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Lesotho, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.
“This is a very critical time,” said Tala Al Ramahi, spokesperson for the Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation, referencing global aid shortfalls.
Philanthropy, she warned, cannot fully replace the void left by aid cuts, but the fund will invest in vital tools and systems to scale healthcare.
The move comes as U.S. President Donald Trump’s earlier aid freeze continues to ripple across humanitarian sectors worldwide.
Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for 70 percent of maternal deaths globally, with most fatalities occurring within a child’s first month of life.
Each year, 182,000 women, 1.2 million newborns, and 950,000 stillbirths are recorded in the region—many from preventable causes.
Despite its philanthropic drive, the UAE faces scrutiny over alleged arms transfers and regional military entanglements it denies.
The fund’s backers stress its urgency and independence, seeking measurable impact where international aid has waned.
In a time of global contraction, the Beginnings Fund casts a lifeline—anchored in ambition, aimed at survival.
