Maternal and Child Health


USAID’s maternal and child survival programs envision a world where all women, newborns, and children survive and are healthy and able to reach their full potential, contributing to the development of their communities and countries.


Every year, more than 5 million children under age five and 200,000 women die from largely preventable causes. To prevent maternal and child deaths, USAID works to scale up coverage of the health interventions that are proven to reduce mortality. In partnership with host country governments, the civil and private sectors, faith-based organizations, and other key partners, USAID to save lives by reaching the most vulnerable women and children with high quality, respectful care.

Our maternal and child survival programs support countries to bring critical promotive, preventive, and curative health services closer to the communities who need them. By partnering directly with those communities, USAID ensures efforts are responsive to local priorities so that results are more likely to be effective, resilient, and sustained.

What We Do

To achieve this vision, USAID works to improve the coverage, quality, and equity of health interventions that can save, and have saved, millions of lives.

  • Maternal and Newborn Health: USAID programs support moms and babies through pregnancy, delivery, and beyond. Our investments train providers to deliver care in a manner that complies with established clinical standards and promotes dignity and respect. 

 

  • Child Health: USAID investments prevent deadly illnesses and infections among children under the age of five. Our programs increase the quality and reach of child health services through the delivery of frontline care, emergency community-level child survival interventions, and promoting preventive care. 

 

  • Immunization: USAID strengthens routine immunization systems to protect children and communities from infectious diseases, like measles and diphtheria. Through our global  partnerships, USAID supports the accelerated introduction of new and underused vaccines. 

 

  • Nutrition: USAID focuses on preventing all forms of undernutrition with an emphasis on the first 1,000 days—from the start of a woman’s pregnancy to a child’s second birthday—a period in which good nutrition is critical for optimal physical and cognitive development. 

 

  • Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene: USAID investments in water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) support governments, the private sector, and communities to increase access to sustainable safe water and sanitation services and to promote key hygiene behaviors to limit the spread of infectious disease. Further, our work to increase access to WASH in health care facilities ensures safe and dignified care. 

 

 

 

Where We Work

USAID’s programs focus on 25 priority countries that together account for more than two-thirds of maternal and child deaths worldwide.
 


Delivering Results

In 2021 alone, USAID helped more than 91 million women and children access essential—often lifesaving—care.

 

Projects and Partnerships

Success Stories