The MOMs (Maternal Outcomes Matter) Initiative

Summary

A multi-sectoral collaboration to drive finance towards better maternal and child health in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

The Alliance is built on a memorandum of understanding (MOU) committing to improving maternal and child health in Sub-Saharan Africa. Each partner plays a distinct role: DFC will bring a strong understanding of blending public and private funding to sustain disruptive solutions; USAID will provide technical assistance and maternal and child health expertise; Merck for Mothers will drive investment toward promising interventions to improve maternal health; and Credit Suisse will provide financial structuring expertise.

Goal

Up to 50M USD in investment towards infrastructure, services and access to care to ensure healthy pregnancies, safe deliveries, and lay the foundation for lifelong good health

Call to Action

Deal pipeline and participation as co-investors

Lead Organisations

DFC

Key Partners

Merck for Mothers
Credit Suisse
USAID

Start Date

2019

Impact Regions

Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia

“If we’re two, three years out and we get to 70 million, that’s great as well. We don’t have any intention of stopping at that number. It is more of a marker to challenge ourselves and make sure that we’re continuing to make progress.”
— Dia Martin, DFC

Milestones and Progress:

June 2019: Women Deliver

  • Initiative launched, criteria announced and MOU signed

January 2020

March 2020 

  • EOI closes with 16 submissions.

May 2020

  • Five deals prioritised for 2020, with the goal of closing two by end of year. The next deal, COVID complications allowing, is likely to be Unjani in South Africa -Merck for Mothers will provide a grant to test out a blended financing model that will then shape the structure of potential financing from DFC in 2021.

Impact Measurement and Key Metrics

The goal is to have every project under the MOMs initiative score as highly developmental under DFC’s IQ assessment, and will look at the impact on the lives of women and the children as a result of the project.

image credit: Jordan Rowland, Unsplash

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