UNFPA in Egypt and the Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population participated in the International Maternal Newborn Health Conference (IMNHC) in Kenya, to align political commitments, evidence, and financing behind proven, scalable solutions in the areas of midwifery and maternal health.

UNFPA participated to secure investments in family planning commodities and humanitarian response while strengthening the legislative policies and sustainable coalitions necessary to accelerate maternal and newborn survival worldwide. 

The International Maternal Newborn Health Conference (IMNHC) convened in Nairobi, Kenya, from March 23–26, 2026. Hosted by AlignMNH, the event gathered a powerhouse of global health leaders, including high-level representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, UNFPA, the World Bank, and the Global Financing Facility.

As highlighted by Dr. Abla El-Alfy, Deputy Minister of Health and Population for Population and Family Development, and Chair of the National Population Council, aligning national progress with international benchmarks is no longer optional. Through integrated care, robust commodity chains, and the empowerment of midwives, the global community aims to ensure that every mother and newborn everywhere does not just survive, but thrives.

Dr Abla also presented Egypt’s groundbreaking investment case for midwifery, which received widespread international praise as a global first. The investment case also provided a robust evidence base for health system reform. Findings indicated that scaling up midwifery-led care by 25% could avert over 259 maternal deaths, 26,500 neonatal deaths, and 860,000 unintended pregnancies between 2026 and 2030.

In the face of a global polycrisis, sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) remain at risk. Humanitarian crises continue to also dismantle care pathways globally, destroying facilities and forcing women to give birth without skilled assistance. 

To combat this, the EWENE movement unites nations and global partnerships into one aligned front. The movement is laser-focused on the 90/90/80/80 targets, which aim for 90% antenatal and skilled birth coverage and 80% postnatal and emergency obstetric care access, emphasizing that maternal and newborn survival depends on both service delivery and the consistent availability of quality-assured commodities. 

A core message of the conference was that maternal and newborn deaths are not only an outcome of lack of service delivery; but are an outcome to the lack of access to commodities. UNFPA is working to close this gap by expanding access to quality-assured commodities through global procurement mechanisms and strategic partnerships.

Central to this delivery are midwives. Investing in midwife-led care is one of the most cost-effective ways to prevent maternal deaths and reduce unintended pregnancies. Because midwives are trusted providers embedded in their communities, they improve over 50 health outcomes and provide the essential continuity of care needed before, during, and after humanitarian crises.

UNFPA in Egypt, as the global lead agency on Midwifery, worked with the Ministry of Health and Population to develop the National Midwifery Strategy for Egypt (2023-2030), highlighting the Midwifery Models of Care (MMoC), in collaboration with WHO and UNICEF. The strategy builds on Egypt’s commitment to the Regional Midwifery and Nursing Strategic Framework 2022-2030 and comes on the heels of the Regional Midwifery Forum - 2023 Global Call to Action and Commitment - that was held in May 2023.

Official delegations from over 28 countries joined the Kenyan Ministry of Health at the conference, alongside the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and technical experts from Jhpiego and R4D, who contributed specialized knowledge in midwifery, health systems, and market-shaping finance. Together, these experts and policymakers aimed to unpack practical solutions, foster global accountability, and unlock the funding necessary to ensure that mothers and newborns worldwide do more than just survive.

UNFPA’s participation comes to fulfill its role as a member of the International Steering Committee (ISC) and co-convenor of the Every Woman, Every Newborn, Everywhere (EWENE) initiative.