The document titled “Global Financing Facility investments for vulnerable populations: content analysis regarding maternal and newborn health and stillbirths in 11 African countries, 2015 to 2019,” authored by Mary Kinney et. al., provides a detailed analysis of the investments made by the Global Financing Facility (GFF) in the realm of maternal and newborn health (MNH), including stillbirths. Launched in 2015, the GFF aims to enhance domestic and external financing for reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, adolescent health, and nutrition. Despite the critical nature of neonatal deaths, stillbirths, and maternal deaths, these areas receive relatively little aid financing compared to other health needs.
This report conducts a thorough content analysis of GFF country planning documents, focusing on investment cases and project appraisal documents (PADs) from 11 African countries. It examines how these documents address maternal and newborn health and assesses the alignment of investments with mortality burdens. The findings highlight the allocation of USD $1,894 million in new funds, with USD $303 million coming from GFF, and provide insights into the inclusion of stillbirths and the effectiveness of the investments.
The conclusions drawn offer a promising outlook on the GFF’s efforts to address MNH, with recommendations for improving the impact by emphasising connections between investments and health outcomes, explicitly incorporating stillbirths, and targeting high-impact interventions.