UNFPA and African Development Bank Forge New Partnership to Advance Maternal Health and Economic Growth in Africa

Brazzaville/New York, 26 May 2026 – United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the African Development Bank (AfDB) have signed a new strategic partnership aimed at strengthening maternal health systems and accelerating Africa’s economic transformation through investments in women and young people.

The Memorandum of Understanding, signed on the sidelines of the African Development Bank’s annual meeting, positions maternal health and demographic resilience as essential drivers of sustainable development, productivity, and human capital growth across the continent.

The agreement reflects a growing recognition that improving maternal health is not only a public health priority, but also a key economic investment that can help African nations harness their demographic dividend.

Despite significant progress in reducing maternal mortality rates across Africa, many countries continue to face major challenges, including unequal access to quality healthcare, structural barriers, and persistent financing gaps.

“Immense opportunity is within Africa’s grasp if we make strategic investments in women and young people,” said Diene Keita, Executive Director of UNFPA. “Economic progress for Africa is only possible if we prioritize women’s health and address one of the continent’s most pressing development challenges: preventable maternal deaths.”

Keita added that the renewed collaboration demonstrates both institutions’ shared commitment to placing maternal health and human capital development at the center of Africa’s economic agenda.

Under the new partnership, UNFPA and the African Development Bank will explore innovative financing and implementation mechanisms designed to increase investment in women and youth as catalysts for economic growth.

Priority areas include modernizing the health workforce through digital training initiatives, strengthening local procurement systems, upgrading climate-resilient health infrastructure, and supporting the digitization of health information systems.

The two organizations have collaborated since 1992 on projects focused on health systems, population data, and sustainable development throughout Africa.

Among the partnership’s notable achievements are the modernization of population data systems in Côte d’Ivoire through the country’s latest national census, improved access to emergency obstetric and newborn care services in 11 health districts across Cameroon, and community awareness initiatives linking water, sanitation, hygiene, reproductive health, and gender equality in rural regions of Madagascar.

The collaboration has also supported the integration of gender equality, sexual and reproductive health, and protection measures into climate adaptation planning in 10 countries across East and Southern Africa.

Going forward, UNFPA said it will work closely with the African Development Bank to ensure that demographic transition roadmaps are integrated into national financing strategies, helping governments recognize investments in health and human rights as long-term investments in Africa’s future prosperity.

According to UNFPA, the agency currently works in more than 150 countries and territories worldwide, supporting women, girls, and young people through access to reproductive health services, protection from violence, and information about their rights and wellbeing.