A mother holding an infant. A snippet from the Bloomberg Philanthropies Annual Report 2024–2025.
In Kigoma, a remote region of Tanzania once plagued by some of the country’s highest maternal death rates, a quiet transformation has taken root.
With strategic support from Bloomberg Philanthropies, maternal mortality in this rural setting has dropped by a staggering 71% since 2014.
What began as a pilot project in one region has now grown into a model being adapted across other African countries, including Malawi, Nigeria, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“In Tanzania, Bloomberg Philanthropies supported efforts to reduce maternal deaths in Kigoma, a rural region with limited access to obstetric care,” states the Bloomberg Philanthropies Annual Report 2024–2025.
“Since 2014, the maternal mortality rate in Kigoma dropped by 71%.”
The Reality of Maternal Risk in Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa remains one of the most dangerous regions in the world to give birth.
Weak health systems, understaffed facilities, and long distances to hospitals often mean the difference between life and death.
For years, Kigoma was a stark example with few trained obstetricians, poorly equipped clinics, and minimal emergency referral networks.
Instead of providing temporary relief, Bloomberg Philanthropies invested in a long-term, systems-focused approach designed to tackle the root causes of maternal deaths.
The Kigoma Model: Practical, Scalable, Proven
The Kigoma intervention centered on strengthening local health infrastructure and empowering mid-level providers to deliver emergency obstetric care.
Operating theatres were built or refurbished within rural health centres. Non-physician clinicians were trained to perform caesarean sections.
Essential services, including solar power and water systems, were restored to make safe deliveries possible even in remote areas.
“By building and equipping operating rooms, training non-physician clinicians to perform caesarean deliveries, and ensuring adequate staffing and oversight,” the report explains.
“We increased access to emergency obstetric care while improving quality and outcomes.”
Critically, the initiative emphasized continuous supervision, data collection, and local ownership, ensuring that improvements were sustained and scaled.
From Local to Continental: Expanding the Blueprint
Encouraged by the success in Kigoma, Bloomberg Philanthropies has expanded its maternal health efforts to other countries.
Each country presents unique maternal health challenges, yet each has embraced components of the Kigoma model to address service gaps.
“We are expanding maternal health efforts in Malawi, Nigeria, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, including support for fistula surgery,” notes the report.
Addressing Obstetric Fistula: Restoring Dignity
Obstetric fistula, often caused by prolonged, unattended Labor, results in chronic incontinence and severe social stigma.
Though preventable, it remains widespread in parts of Africa.
In DRC, Bloomberg’s investment is enabling not just surgical repair but also outreach, community education, and training for local surgeons.
This expansion aligns maternal health with gender dignity, helping survivors recover their health, confidence, and social standing.
Partners at the Frontlines
A defining feature of Bloomberg’s approach is its reliance on partnerships.
The foundation works with national governments, local health workers, and implementation partners to ensure alignment with national priorities and sustainability after the funding period ends.
“Our efforts are guided by a simple belief: Every mother deserves the best possible chance to survive childbirth,” the report emphasizes.
“We work with national governments and local health workers to strengthen the systems that deliver lifesaving care.”
This focus on embedded partnerships and local capacity-building ensures that the gains are not only measurable but also resilient.
A Cost-Effective Path to Progress
What makes the Kigoma-inspired model even more compelling is its cost-effectiveness.
By training existing cadres of health workers and using modular infrastructure upgrades, the intervention achieves high impact without exorbitant cost.
It proves that life-saving obstetric care doesn’t require high-tech hospitals, just smart, responsive systems.
The return on investment is undeniable. Women survive. Children are born healthy. Families stay intact. And health systems gain public trust.
The Bigger Picture: Changing National Trajectories
Improving maternal health also impacts national development.
When women survive childbirth, they are more likely to raise healthy children, participate in the workforce, and invest in their families.
When maternal mortality drops, so too do orphan rates, school dropouts, and household poverty.
Bloomberg Philanthropies’ strategy is not just about surviving birth, it’s about unlocking a healthier, more equitable future.
“Every life saved is a testament to what’s possible when we act boldly and locally,” the report concludes.
While the foundation’s report makes clear that maternal health challenges persist, it also signals a long-term commitment.
Future priorities include expanding surgical access, supporting respectful maternity care, and embedding emergency obstetric services within national insurance schemes and district budgets.
There’s also an emphasis on continuous measurement, ensuring that interventions remain effective and that no woman is left behind due to geography, poverty, or neglect.
Source: All information and quotes are drawn from the Bloomberg Philanthropies Annual Report 2024–2025, pp. 6, 8, and 43.
