Support Maternal Health in Africa: Safe Births, Trained Midwives and Healthy Newborns

If you want to support maternal health in Africa, you are helping at the most important moment in a family's life. A safe birth with trained help means a mother survives and a baby gets the best possible start. This guide explains where maternal health gifts do the most good, what they cost, and how to give safely from the United States.

We'll also show how to give through GiveToAfrica, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, EIN 27-3982730. You choose a maternal health cause, your gift is recorded against it, and every quarter you receive a field report on births, check-ups and outcomes.

Why maternal health in Africa needs support

The world has made real progress. Maternal deaths have fallen by about 40% since 2000. However, an estimated 260,000 women still died from pregnancy and childbirth-related causes in 2023, and about 70% of those deaths were in sub-Saharan Africa (UNFPA / WHO, Trends in Maternal Mortality 2000–2023).

Behind every one of those numbers is a family that lost a mother, and often a newborn too. Most of these deaths are preventable. For example, severe bleeding, infection and high blood pressure can all be treated when a trained midwife is present and a clinic is within reach. The problem is that, in many rural areas, neither is.

Consequently, many women still give birth at home without skilled help. If something goes wrong, the nearest clinic may be hours away, with no transport. Therefore, the most effective way to support maternal health in Africa is to close that gap: trained help, clean supplies and a way to reach care in an emergency.

Why support maternal health through GiveToAfrica

Maternal health appeals often ask you to "save a mother" without explaining how. We work differently. Instead, every maternal health cause shows its budget, targets and gift amounts before you give.

For instance, the safe motherhood budget puts 30% into maternity waiting homes near clinics and 25% into midwives and their training. Meanwhile, 20% funds emergency transport and 15% buys birth kits and supplies. Finally, 10% covers monitoring and your report.

Additionally, GiveToAfrica is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, EIN 27-3982730. Consequently, gifts from US donors are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law, and your email receipt arrives as soon as your payment clears.

Most importantly, we measure outcomes. Our targets include 90% of births with a skilled attendant and zero maternal deaths among the women served by safe motherhood. You can read why we send field reports and how we work.

Our Services: maternal health care you can fund in Africa

A safe pregnancy and birth needs care before, during and after delivery. Here are seven kinds of maternal and newborn care you can fund through GiveToAfrica.

Antenatal check-ups

Regular check-ups during pregnancy catch problems early, such as anaemia or high blood pressure. Our maternal and child health cause funds community health workers who visit mothers at home and bring them to clinics.

For example, $100 covers four antenatal check-ups, with transport, for one mother. Our target this round is 800 mothers with four or more antenatal visits.

Clean birth kits and newborn care packs

A clean birth prevents infection for both mother and baby. Through maternal and child health, $50 provides clean birth kits and newborn care packs for two mothers.

Each kit contains simple essentials, such as a clean blade, cord ties, gloves and a clean sheet. Consequently, even births far from a clinic are safer. Newborn care packs add items such as a warm wrap and guidance for the first days, when babies are most vulnerable to cold and infection.

Trained midwives

A skilled midwife is the single most important person at a birth. She can manage bleeding, resuscitate a newborn and recognise when a mother needs hospital care. Our safe motherhood cause trains community midwives and equips them to handle emergencies.

For instance, $300 buys a midwife's equipment kit, and $2,400 funds a year of training for a community midwife. Our target is 20 midwives trained and 1,500 births attended by trained staff this round.

Maternity waiting homes

For women in remote areas, the safest plan is to be near a clinic before labour starts. Therefore, safe motherhood funds maternity waiting homes, where women can stay in the final weeks of pregnancy.

As a result, when labour begins, skilled help is minutes away rather than hours. This is the largest single line in the safe motherhood budget, at 30%.

Emergency transport for complicated births

Sometimes, even well-planned births need urgent hospital care. Through safe motherhood, $90 provides emergency transport vouchers for two women in labour. Our target is 300 emergency transfers completed.

Similarly, the maternal and child health cause funds motorbike ambulances and fuel for complicated births.

Equipping rural delivery rooms

Many rural clinics lack basic delivery equipment. Through maternal and child health, $2,500 equips a rural clinic's delivery room. Our target is four clinics fully equipped this round, each serving several surrounding villages.

In addition, solar power helps clinics keep lights on for night-time deliveries. Our medical clinics cause funds solar systems for $3,000.

Newborn vaccination and care

A healthy start continues after birth. Therefore, community health workers follow up with mothers and babies, and make sure babies are vaccinated on schedule. Our target is 85% of infants fully vaccinated by their first birthday.

Moreover, our HIV/AIDS programs cause supports HIV-positive mothers through pregnancy and breastfeeding, with a target of 98% of babies born HIV-free.

A safe birth, step by step

To see how the pieces fit together, here is the path a pregnancy follows in the programmes you can fund. It describes the process, not any particular mother.

Early pregnancy

First, a community health worker registers the pregnancy during a home visit. She checks the mother's health, gives iron and folic acid, and explains the danger signs to watch for.

Check-ups through pregnancy

Next, the mother attends at least four antenatal check-ups, with transport where needed. As a result, problems such as anaemia, high blood pressure or malaria are caught and treated early.

The final weeks

Then, if the mother lives far from a clinic, she moves to a maternity waiting home near the clinic a few weeks before her due date. Consequently, she is close to skilled help when labour begins.

The birth

When labour starts, a trained midwife attends, using a clean birth kit and a properly equipped delivery room. If a complication arises, emergency transport takes the mother to hospital.

After the birth

Finally, health workers visit mother and baby in the days and weeks after birth. The baby is vaccinated on schedule, and the mother is supported with breastfeeding and nutrition.

The first 1,000 days

The first 1,000 days, from pregnancy to a child's second birthday, shape a child's health and development for life. Therefore, good nutrition for mothers and babies during this window matters enormously.

Our nutrition programs cause screens young children for malnutrition, treats those who need it, and teaches mothers to prepare nutritious meals from local foods. For example, $75 funds arm-band screening for 250 children. Consequently, support for maternal health in Africa continues well beyond the day of birth.

Supporting young mothers

Very young mothers face higher risks in pregnancy and childbirth. They are also more likely to leave school. Therefore, several of our causes support young mothers in particular.

For instance, our vocational training cause aims for 40% of its trainees to be young mothers, and it budgets for childcare and transport so they can attend. Similarly, keep children in school helps girls stay in school, which is one of the best ways to delay early pregnancy in the first place.

Where each dollar goes

When you support maternal and child health, about 32 cents of every dollar pays community health workers. Next, 25 cents buys clinic supplies, and 18 cents funds midwife training. Finally, 15 cents covers emergency transport, and 10 cents covers monitoring and your report.

Therefore, you know how a $100 gift will be split before you give. Every quarter, the field report compares the plan with what was actually spent.

What a maternal health gift can fund

Here are examples from our current budgets, to help you choose a level.

$50 to $100

A gift of $50 provides clean birth kits for two mothers. Meanwhile, $90 provides emergency transport vouchers for two women in labour, and $100 covers four antenatal check-ups for one mother.

$300 to $700

At this level, $300 buys a midwife's equipment kit. Similarly, $700 funds a year of cooking and nutrition classes for 40 mothers through nutrition programs, so babies are well fed after birth.

$2,400 and above

Larger gifts fund lasting capacity. For instance, $2,400 funds a year of training for a community midwife, and $2,500 equips a rural delivery room. A trained midwife may attend hundreds of births over her career.

Maternal health connects to everything

A mother's health shapes her whole family's future. Consequently, maternal health gifts often sit alongside other causes.

For example, malaria in pregnancy is dangerous for both mother and baby. Therefore, treated bed nets through malaria prevention protect pregnant women. Similarly, clean water from wells and boreholes makes births and newborn care safer.

Moreover, when mothers earn their own income, they can pay for transport and care. As a result, small business grants for women often improve maternal health too. You can read more in our guide to donating to healthcare in Africa.

How to support maternal health in Africa from the USA

Here are the ways US donors most often give to support mothers and newborns.

Donate online

The quickest way is our donation page. First, choose a cause such as safe motherhood. Next, pick an amount; gifts start at $50. Then complete the secure form, and your receipt arrives by email.

Give monthly

Midwives and health workers are paid every month. Therefore, monthly gifts are especially valuable. When you pay by card, choose "Monthly" on the donation form.

Give in honour of a mother

Many donors give in honour of their own mother, or to celebrate a birth in their family. Simply add a dedication, such as "In honour of Mum", in the message field. Mother's Day, baby showers and christenings are popular times to give, because they celebrate exactly what your gift protects. Read our guide to legacy and memorial gifts for more ideas.

Give crypto, or from a DAF or IRA

You can give Bitcoin and more than 100 other coins, or recommend a donor-advised fund grant using EIN 27-3982730. If you are 70½ or older, a qualified charitable distribution from your IRA may also be possible.

Supporting maternal health in Africa from across the United States

Donors support maternal health from every state. Here are some communities with strong connections.

Atlanta and the Southeast

Atlanta is home to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and many public health professionals. Consequently, many Georgia donors support evidence-based maternal care, such as safe motherhood.

Baltimore and Washington, DC

Baltimore's hospitals and public health schools train many of America's maternal health experts. Similarly, many Washington, DC, donors work in global health. As a result, the region often funds midwife training.

Houston and Texas

Houston's Texas Medical Center includes major women's and children's hospitals. Therefore, many Houston nurses, doctors and midwives choose to support their counterparts in Africa.

Nurses and midwives nationwide

Across the country, many nurses and midwives give to maternal health in Africa. In addition, many Americans who work on Black maternal health in the United States see the same urgency abroad, and give to both.

Minneapolis and the Midwest

Minneapolis–St. Paul has a large Somali community, and many families there know first-hand how far a pregnant woman may have to travel for care in rural East Africa. Consequently, Midwest donors often fund emergency transport and maternity waiting homes. Similarly, hospital staff across Minnesota, Ohio and Michigan often give to support maternal health in Africa through midwife training.

How to choose a maternal health charity in Africa

Before you give, ask four questions. Does the charity fund trained midwives, not just supplies? Is there a plan for emergencies? Does it measure births with skilled attendants and outcomes? Will it report results?

We answer each of those on our healthcare and women's empowerment pages. For a wider checklist, read how to choose a charity working in Africa. You can also confirm our registration in the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search.

What happens after you give

First, your email receipt arrives as soon as your payment clears. Next, your gift is recorded against the cause you chose and released to the local partner in stages.

Subsequently, health workers record visits, births and referrals. Finally, every quarter, you receive a field report on what was delivered, what it cost and how mothers and babies fared. Individual mothers are never identified, and all figures are reported in aggregate to protect their privacy and dignity.

Contact GiveToAfrica

We accept donations from all 50 US states and from supporters worldwide. Have a question before you give? Email info@givetoafrica.net, use our contact form, or tap the WhatsApp button on this page. We reply within two working days. See our privacy policy and terms.

Frequently asked questions

How can I help mothers give birth safely in Africa?

Fund trained midwives, clean birth kits and emergency transport through our safe motherhood and maternal and child health causes. For example, $90 provides emergency transport vouchers for two women in labour.

How much does a clean birth kit cost?

In our current budget, $50 provides clean birth kits and newborn care packs for two mothers.

Are maternal health donations tax-deductible?

Yes. GiveToAfrica is a registered 501(c)(3), EIN 27-3982730, so gifts from US donors are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Your email receipt is valid for your tax records.

What is a maternity waiting home?

It is a place near a clinic where women from remote areas can stay in the final weeks of pregnancy, so skilled help is close when labour begins.

How do you measure maternal health results?

We track antenatal visits, births with a skilled attendant, emergency transfers, infant vaccination and maternal outcomes. Every donor receives a quarterly field report.

Ready to support maternal health in Africa?

Choose a cause from our healthcare area or all 38 causes, then give on our donation page. If you have a question first, contact our team.