A community health worker administers oral medicine to a child,/PHOTO; AI-generated illustration
A new $100 million philanthropic commitment is drawing attention to persistent gaps in child survival across Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, where preventable deaths among children under five remain unacceptably high.
The initiative, launched by ICONIQ Capital through its collaborative philanthropy platform ICONIQ Impact, will support 18 locally led organisations over the next three years.
The focus is on strengthening nutrition services, routine immunisation, and frontline healthcare delivery in communities that are often left out of formal systems.
The announcement lands at a time when global child health progress is under pressure.
After years of gradual improvement, disruptions in external aid funding and strained health systems have made it harder for many countries, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa to maintain outreach programmes that reach the most vulnerable children.
“Children are dying from things we know how to prevent, and waiting isn’t an option,” said Rick Moskovitz.
“We have decided to deploy our philanthropic resources fully to meet this moment, starting with this commitment to child survival.”
Nancy Siegel Moskovitz said the approach is deliberately focused on trusted local organisations working closest to communities.
“We want to reach more children with the lifesaving services they need through organizations that have earned communities’ trust. We hope other philanthropists will join us,” she said.
According to the initiative, Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia were prioritised because they account for nearly 90% of global child deaths, alongside the highest burden of severe malnutrition and children who have never received routine vaccinations.
A key part of the strategy is integrating services that are often delivered separately, particularly immunisation and treatment for acute malnutrition.
While experts describe this combined approach as highly effective, it remains significantly underfunded.
Matti Navellou, head of ICONIQ Impact, said the timing of the fund reflects growing urgency.
“When overseas aid contracts, philanthropic capital must move quickly to get resources to critical frontline organizations. The Child Survival Portfolio aims to do exactly that, funding organizations saving children’s lives now and building stronger systems for the future,” he said.
Early grantees include organisations working on digital health systems, community health worker tools, and last-mile delivery models.
These include Akros, eHealth Africa, Khushi Baby, ALIMA, Integrate Health, and SELCO Foundation, all supporting programmes across Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
The work ranges from mapping “invisible” communities not captured in routine health data, to supporting community health workers tracking children in real time, to ensuring clinics can keep vaccines cold and accessible even in areas without reliable electricity.
Michael Anders, a partner at ICONIQ Capital, said the effort is designed to encourage faster, more coordinated action.
“ICONIQ Impact was designed to meet moments like this, bringing donors together to back what works, quickly. We’re grateful to Rick and Nancy for their commitment, and we welcome others,” he said.
A second phase of funding is expected to explore more experimental delivery models aimed at reaching children in the hardest-to-access regions.
For now, the focus remains simple: closing gaps in systems that already know what works but still struggle to reach every child who needs it.
Help us tell more untold stories of African Philanthropy!
To DONATE or Pledge: CLICK HERE
