In its seventh annual Goalkeepers report, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) has emphasized that making innovative solutions accessible to those in need could potentially save an additional two million mothers and babies by 2030 and 6.4 million lives by 2040. The report, released on Tuesday, focuses on maternal and infant health, tracking progress on development goals established by 193 world leaders in 2015.
Co-authored by Melinda French Gates and Bill Gates, the report reveals that progress in reducing global maternal mortality has stagnated since 2016, and in some countries, including the United States, maternal death rates have steadily increased.
“In making these innovations accessible to those most in need, we have the potential to save an additional 2 million lives by 2030, and 6.4 million lives by 2040. That’s 2 million families spared from unimaginable heartbreak and 2 million more individuals who can contribute to and enrich our world,” they stated.
Progress in reducing maternal mortality rates has stagnated since 2016, with some countries, including the United States, witnessing a steady increase in maternal mortality. Globally, nearly 800 women lose their lives during childbirth every day.
Although child mortality rates have continued to decline since the mid-2010s, the initial month of a newborn’s life remains perilous, accounting for nearly half of all deaths in children under the age of 5. It’s estimated that 74% of child fatalities occur during a baby’s first year.
In separate essays, Melinda French Gates and Bill Gates acknowledge the substantial global improvements in maternal and child health achieved between 2000 and 2015. However, they highlight the halt in progress following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
They emphasize how revolutionary insights into maternal and child health in the past decade have given rise to cost-effective and easily implementable innovations and practices that address life-threatening childbirth complications such as postpartum hemorrhaging, infections, and maternal anemia.
They urge immediate action to realign global efforts with the goal of reducing maternal mortality to fewer than 70 per 100,000 births and newborn mortality to 12 deaths per 1,000 live births by 2030.
French Gates notes, “All too often, innovations fail to reach those who need them the most, such as women in low-income countries and Black and Indigenous women in high-income countries like the United States, who face a mortality rate three times higher than that of white women.
“This must change. We have seen time and again that prioritizing and investing in women’s health can unleash a potent force for progress, reducing poverty, promoting gender equality, and fostering resilient economies.”
Bill Gates adds, “In the past decade, the field of child health has made remarkable strides beyond what I could have envisioned in my lifetime. If we can ensure that these advancements are delivered to every mother and child in need, in tandem with ongoing research and the skillful deployment of healthcare workers, we can increase the chances of survival for more infants during those critical initial days.”
The report highlights that many of these life-saving innovations and practices can be administered by midwives and birth attendants within communities. These include:
- A package of interventions that can reduce postpartum hemorrhage, the leading cause of maternal mortality, by 60%, costing less than $1 per package.
- Bifidobacteria (B. Infantis), a new probiotic supplement that, when administered to infants alongside breastmilk, combats malnutrition, a primary contributor to newborn deaths.
- Multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS) that enhance infant survival rates by replenishing nutrient reserves in pregnant women and ensuring the transfer of vital nutrients to their infants.
- A one-time intravenous iron infusion for pregnant women that replenishes iron stores, preventing and treating anemia, a condition that contributes to postpartum hemorrhaging and affects nearly 37% of pregnant women.
- Antenatal corticosteroids (ACS), provided to women expected to deliver prematurely, accelerate fetal lung development, providing several weeks of maturation within a few days.
- Azithromycin, which reduces maternal infections during pregnancy and prevents them from escalating into sepsis, responsible for 23% of maternal deaths in the United States, and decreases mortality when administered to infants in high-mortality environments.
- An AI-enabled portable ultrasound device empowering nurses and midwives to monitor high-risk pregnancies in low-resource settings, enabling early detection and intervention.
With the SDGs deadline approaching, the Goalkeepers Report emphasizes that the world is currently off track on 18 key indicators, ranging from poverty to gender equality, education to food security, health to climate. It underscores the urgent need for action and renewed global commitment to achieving a more equitable and secure future for all by 2030.
To ensure that mothers and babies have access to the quality healthcare necessary for long and healthy lives, policy adjustments, political determination, and increased investment in women’s health and healthcare workers, including midwives, are essential.
Mark Suzman, CEO of the Gates Foundation, states, “Our understanding of saving the most fragile lives has advanced significantly in a short time. Together, we can translate this knowledge into tangible progress—by assisting countries in accessing the highest-quality life-saving products, investing more in the research and development of innovative tools and approaches, and ensuring women have control over their healthcare throughout their maternal journey. The world can and must do more to attain a healthier, more prosperous, and equitable future.”