The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has underlined the importance of innovation with potential to save millions of lives, among mothers and children.
This was stated in the organisation’s annual report made available to Science Nigeria today, September 12, 2023, in Abuja.
The report revealed that progress towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has come to a standstill and stressed the urgency of taking action to reduce maternal and newborn mortality rates.
Within this report, seven low-cost and readily implementable innovations are identified. These innovations have the power to prevent and treat life-threatening childbirth complications.
“These innovations encompass interventions aimed at reducing postpartum haemorrhage, combating malnutrition, improving survival rates for infants, replenishing iron reserves during pregnancy, fostering fetal lung development, diminishing maternal infections and monitoring high-risk pregnancies,” the report states.
It becomes evident from the report that the world is falling behind in its pursuit of the SDGs. Urgent measures are imperative to ensure that both mothers and babies have access to high-quality healthcare.
To bridge this gap, the report calls for changes in policy, political commitment and increased investment in women’s health and healthcare workers.
The CEO of the Gates Foundation was quoted in the report, emphasising the crucial need to translate knowledge into tangible progress. The goal is to achieve a world that is not only healthier but also more prosperous and equitable.
In conclusion, the report underlines the necessity for heightened investment in women’s health and the healthcare workforce, with a special focus on midwives. These steps are essential to usher in a healthier, more prosperous, and equitable world.
