An ointment could save up to half a million newborns a year­ – and it costs 20 cents

Hacey Health Initiative and Alabiyamo Maternal and Child Healthcare Foundation are improving maternal and newborn health in rural communities. The groups have provided more than 50,000 birthing kits containing sterilized tools and other essentials and handed out over 100,000 long-lasting treated nets to prevent malaria. Women and infants can get medications and important vaccinations, along with clothes and baby food. The care is free and the groups work with community gatekeepers, like leaders in local markets, midwives, and other traditional birthing assistants, whose buy in is important to build trust.

The state Ministry of Health in partnership with other local organizations is providing educational, medical outreach for pregnant women to discuss malaria, maternal mortality and the importance of having regular medical checkups, while providing necessary resources to increase their access to care.

In Kenya's Siaya County, community-selected individuals known as nyamrerwa are trained "to address healthcare issues of individuals and communities in their respective localities." The initiative is part of a larger strategy that is helping to localize care and empower community members to "take control and responsibility of their own health achievement efforts."

To help pregnant women during the COVID-10 pandemic, the government in Uganda sold travel and private hospital care vouchers to those in their third trimester to ensure the women had access to the care they would need. The program connected the women with health resources in their own areas and also guaranteed that they get routine services such as antenatal and postnatul checkups.

China has faced a multitude of issues when it comes to providing sufficient health care, but thanks governmental funding and an increased focus on maternal and child health, the country has seen a positive impact. Although not without room to improve in other sectors, so far, China has noted a significant decline in infectious diseases and an increase in those carrying health insurance.

In remote areas of Kenya, health care is hard to access and medical professionals and technology have been hard to come by. A new partnership between the government, Phillips, and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has resulted in a new health care centre with state of the art technology, health care training systems, and more personnel to better serve women and children.

Malaria vaccine distribution systems in Africa's Sahel region are facing bottleneck in their supply chains, but are working to get help from the government and to piggyback on other aid systems.

Haiti suffered tremendous losses after the 2010 earthquake, exacerbating the devastation in an already impoverished country. In 2015, agriculture in Haiti is a growing business backed by the United States’ Feed the Future Initiative. Nourishment and health of mothers and babies has also improved with the encouragement of breastfeeding and sweet potatoes.

To address gaps in healthcare access, the local government partnered with organizations like Plan International, German Cooperation and the World Bank’s Saving One Million Lives Project to build, refurbish and equip primary healthcare centers across the state to provide better care. As of May 2023, 138 centers have been built or upgraded, offering maternity care services, child healthcare, vaccinations and family planning among other services.

The Abiyamo Maternal and Child Health Insurance Scheme provides free maternal and early childhood care, including hospital deliveries, to improve maternal and childhood survival rates. The government made a budgetary provision to guarantee annual funds, ensuring the program will last beyond the current administration. Traditional birth attendants are paid for every woman they refer to a hospital and hospitals are paid via a lump sum or fee-for-service model. Media campaigns and engagement with local stakeholders have helped increase hospital deliveries and while giving women free high-quality care.