The call for proposals will support countries with the highest maternal and newborn mortality rates reach the Sustainable Development Goals

WASHINGTON, DC – The Global Financing Facility (GFF) today announced a call for proposals to support countries with high maternal and newborn mortality to scale up proven innovations to reduce maternal and newborn mortality around and just after birth. This responds to increasing demand from countries to expand and sustain innovations that support their health and nutrition priorities by tackling critical bottlenecks to improved outcomes at scale.

This call for proposals—a partnership with Laerdal Global Health, a Norwegian not-for-profit company dedicated to helping save the lives of mothers and newborns—seeks to advance innovations for maternal and newborn mortality that are evidence-based, proven, and can be effectively delivered in low-resource conditions to achieve quality and improved outcomes at scale. Five grants are expected to be awarded through this call for proposals, each up to US$5 million over three years. The application deadline is April 30, 2019.

“Innovation is all about impact. We believe there is a particularly big opportunity to help save more lives by better, faster and more efficient scale-up of proven interventions. We are therefore delighted to partner with GFF on this initiative,” said Tore Laerdal, Executive Chairman of Laerdal Global Health.

This call for proposals is part of the GFF’s broader approach to innovations to improve the health and well being of women, children and adolescents. The GFF’s innovation work funds the uptake of innovations through eligible country governments and a broad range of implementing partners, with a focus on sustainability and integration into national health systems. These innovations also address critical gaps in health systems for achieving impact on health and nutrition, as identified in GFF investment cases, or national health development plans and strategies.

“The private sector is helping countries leapfrog and tackle bottlenecks in their health systems. The Global Financing Facility is proud to work alongside Laerdal Global Health and other GFF partners to help countries scale up innovations for women, children and adolescents,” said Mariam Claeson, Director of the GFF.

The GFF will also work with UNICEF, which will provide a unique value-add through their innovation expertise and strong operational presence in GFF-supported countries.

To read the call for proposals, please visit here.