One of the grant winners is Lifeboox, a global nonprofit that saves lives through safer surgery and anaesthesia.
More than 80 organisations, including some
based in Africa, have been awarded as part of a US$250 million “Action for
Women’s Health” initiative aimed at improving women’s physical and mental
health around the world.
The grants, ranging from US$1 million to
US$5 million, were selected from over 4,000 applicants across 119 countries.
The funding is provided by Pivotal, a
philanthropy group founded by Melinda French Gates and managed by Lever for
Change.
One of the grant winners is Lifebox, a
global nonprofit that saves lives through safer surgery and anaesthesia.
Unsafe surgery remains a significant but
under-resourced threat in global health.
According to Lifebox, more than four million
people die each year within 30 days of surgery.
“Every year, more than four million people
die following surgery. Unsafe surgery is one of the most urgent and solvable
challenges in global health, especially for women,” said Dr Tihitena Negussie
Mammo, Lifebox’s Global Clinical Director. “At Lifebox, we’ve reduced
postoperative complications and deaths, including those following cesarean
section, by up to 40 per cent. Strengthening surgical safety for women saves
lives today and builds the foundation for healthier families and societies.”
Cesarean section (C-section) surgery is a
major focus, because it is the most common operation in many low- and
middle-income countries and contributes significantly to maternal mortality
when safety standards are not met.
According to the World Health Organization,
surgical site infections (SSIs) affect up to 20 per cent of women who undergo
C-sections in parts of Africa.
Rates of SSIs following C-sections vary
globally. Research in Ethiopia shows a pooled infection rate of over 12 per cent.
Such infections not only endanger lives but also strain health systems already
under pressure.
Lifebox’s “Clean Cut for Cesarean Section
(CS)” programme aims to reduce infections by improving adherence to six
critical infection-prevention standards in operating theatres.
The majority of the grantees are
community-based groups that historically have lacked access to large
philanthropic streams.
They include Tiko, an African organisation
working to protect adolescent girls across the continent from unintended
pregnancy, HIV, and gender-based violence; the grant will help Tiko expand its
integrated health services, including SGBV prevention and recovery.
Another grantee is the Population Council,
whose Centre for Biomedical Research will use the funding to advance
development of sexual and reproductive health products, such as contraception
and HIV prevention tools.
Also among the awardees is The HOME
Project, which supports unaccompanied refugee girls and teenage mothers in Greece
with comprehensive care – from mental health to legal assistance – and has run
shelters in Athens since 2016.
Pivotal was founded by Melinda French Gates
in 2015 and works to advance social progress and expand women’s power and
influence globally.
Its
mission spans high-impact investments, philanthropy, partnerships, and
advocacy, targeting structural barriers that limit women’s health, economic
participation, and leadership. In May 2024, Melinda French Gates announced a
US$1 billion commitment through Pivotal to “advance women’s power worldwide.”
To deliver on that commitment, Pivotal
launched the Action for Women’s Health, a US$250 million global open call to
fund organisations working on women’s mental and physical health.