UNICEF and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints collaborate to strengthen maternal and newborn care in South Asia

BANGKOK, 31 August 2026 – UNICEF and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have launched a two-year collaboration to strengthen maternal and newborn health services across South Asia, aiming to reach 1.5 million mothers and 1.5 million newborns with improved access to lifesaving care before, during and after childbirth.

While South Asia has made important progress in maternal and newborn health in recent decades, preventable maternal and newborn deaths remain a major challenge. Too many women and newborns still lack access to quality care before, during and after childbirth.

Each year, an estimated 43,000 women in the sub-region die from pregnancy-related causes, while more than six million births take place without skilled health personnel.

“Nearly two thirds of all deaths among children under five in South Asia occur in the very first month of life. For mothers and newborns alike, quality care before, during and after childbirth can mean the difference between life and death,” said Sanjay Wijesekera, UNICEF Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific. “This collaboration will help strengthen the services, skills and systems needed to prevent avoidable deaths and ensure more mothers and babies across South Asia survive and thrive.”

Through the collaboration, UNICEF will work with governments and partners to expand access to lifesaving maternal and newborn care, including through essential supplies and equipment, improved quality of care, stronger capacities among health workers, enhanced data and digital systems, and community engagement.

“Healthy families begin with mothers and newborns getting the care they need at the moments that matter most,” said Mickey Lui, Asia Area Director for Temporal Affairs of the Church. “By investing in frontline health workers and the resources they need to provide quality care, we can help bring lifesaving maternal and newborn services closer to families and communities across South Asia.”

The initiative will support health facilities with essential supplies and equipment, strengthen frontline health worker capacity, and improve the use of data and digital systems to enhance quality of care. Implemented in collaboration with national and sub-national health authorities, it will be tailored to local priorities and contexts while contributing to stronger, more sustainable health systems across South Asia.