The Abu Dhabi government launched a $500 million maternal and child health fund on April 27, 2025, targeting sub-Saharan Africa to reduce maternal mortality and improve healthcare access for women and children, as announced during a global health summit in the UAE.
The initiative, managed by the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD), will finance 100 healthcare projects across 20 African nations over five years, focusing on Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Kenya, where maternal mortality rates exceed 800 per 100,000 live births, per World Health Organization data. The fund aims to save 1 million lives by 2030.
The program will build 50 maternity hospitals, train 10,000 midwives, and equip 200 clinics with ultrasound and delivery tools, prioritizing rural areas, per The Guardian. It also includes mobile health units to reach 5 million women annually, addressing barriers like distance and cost, which contribute to 70% of maternal deaths, per UNICEF.
The UAE’s Minister of Health, Abdulrahman Al Owais, said the fund aligns with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, targeting a maternal mortality ratio below 70 by 2030, per Reuters. The ADFD has partnered with the African Union and WHO to ensure transparent fund allocation, with Nigeria allocated $100 million for 10 hospitals, per BBC.
The initiative responds to Africa’s healthcare crisis, where 1 in 37 women face lifetime maternal death risks, compared to 1 in 7,800 globally, per WHO. Funding will also support nutrition programs, tackling anemia, which affects 40% of pregnant African women. The UAE’s prior $200 million health investments in Africa since 2020, including COVID-19 vaccine distribution, bolstered the fund’s credibility, per Reuters. However, challenges include conflict zones and weak infrastructure, with 30% of African health facilities lacking electricity, per WHO.
The fund has drawn commitments from private partners, including Mubadala, contributing $50 million, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, adding $20 million, per BBC. Critics note that long-term success requires local government buy-in, citing Nigeria’s 5% health budget allocation, far below the WHO’s 15% recommendation. The launch underscores Abu Dhabi’s growing role in global health philanthropy, with the UAE aiming to bridge Africa’s $200 billion annual health funding gap, per African Development Bank estimates. The fund’s first projects are set to begin in Nigeria by September 2025, marking a critical step toward equitable healthcare.