As global leaders gather for the International Maternal Newborn Health Conference (IMNHC) 2026, the SMART Advocacy for Strategic Action (SASA) Alliance, in collaboration with SAMASHA Medical Foundation, Health NGOs Network (HENNET), Reproductive Health Network Kenya (RHNK), International Centre for Reproductive Health (ICRH), National Council for Population & Development (NCPD), JHPIEGO Kenya, Pathfinder International Nigeria, Partners in Population and Development Africa Regional Office (PPD ARO), and other partners, will convene a high-level policy and advocacy dialogue to advance maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) policy and domestic financing across Africa.
The side event, “Shaping the Future of MNCH Policy and Health Financing for Healthier Mothers and Newborns,” will take place on March 24, 2026, at the EDGE Convention Centre in Nairobi. It will bring together policymakers, legislators, civil society leaders, donors, researchers, and media to identify practical pathways for accelerating progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for maternal and newborn survival.
The IMNHC serves as a global platform to review progress, exchange evidence-based solutions, and strengthen partnerships to ensure that mothers and newborns not only survive but thrive. Yet progress remains uneven, with persistent financing gaps, weak accountability systems, and competing priorities slowing momentum.
As resources continue to shrink, the dialogue will focus on practical strategies to sustain and scale maternal and newborn health investments across countries facing increasing financial constraints.
“With financing pressures rising across the region, we must rethink how advocacy drives results ensuring that limited resources are used more strategically, partnerships are strengthened, and country-led priorities remain at the center of MNCH investments,” said Sally Njiri, Regional Project Director, SASA Project.
The dialogue will spotlight country-led advocacy experiences and financing priorities from Kenya, Uganda, Senegal, Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, and Ethiopia. Through keynote insights, panel discussions, and interactive exchanges, participants will explore innovative approaches to domestic resource mobilization, budget accountability, and policy reform.
“The advocacy ecosystem for FP and MNCH is still fragile,” said Patrick Mugirwa, Ag. Regional Director/Programme Manager, PPD ARO. “Frequent changes in government, emerging and competing priorities, and dwindling resources make it critical to sustain advocacy efforts ensuring that hard-won gains are not only maintained but built upon to accelerate progress.”
The event will generate actionable policy and financing recommendations to guide future advocacy, inform donor and partner investments, and strengthen alignment with IMNHC 2026 priorities.
“For some African countries, advancing MNCH outcomes requires not only increased funding, but also stronger accountability systems and sustained political will to ensure that resources translate into quality services for women and children,” said Dr. Amina Dorayi, Regional Portfolio Director, West and Central Africa, Pathfinder International. “We must continue to align advocacy, policy, and financing efforts to protect gains and accelerate progress toward equitable health outcomes.”
By convening diverse voices across sectors and countries, the dialogue aims to strengthen collaboration and ensure that policy reforms, financing commitments, and advocacy efforts translate into tangible improvements in maternal and newborn health outcomes.
The session is expected to deliver clear country-led priorities, shared lessons across geographies, and concrete recommendations to inform post-conference advocacy and investment strategies toward 2030 global health targets.
