As we move through 2026, the world is facing a stark reality: families and children are experiencing some of the greatest and most urgent needs in modern history.
Across the globe, conflict, climate shocks, economic instability and shrinking humanitarian resources are placing enormous pressure on families and the services they rely on. Amid these overlapping crises, one reality must remain firmly at the centre of our collective attention: the survival of mothers and newborns.
Almost half of all deaths of children under five occur in the first month of life. The hours and days after birth are when a child is most vulnerable — and when access to quality care is most critical.
Humanitarian crises magnify these risks. Health systems become overwhelmed, under-resourced and unable to provide the care mothers and babies urgently need.
Countries experiencing crisis account for 58% of global maternal deaths, 39% of newborn deaths and 41% of stillbirths — yet maternal and newborn care in these settings remains chronically underfunded and overlooked.
New analysis from the UN Inter-Agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation shows that a child born in fragile and conflict-affected settings is almost three times more likely to die before their fifth birthday than a child born elsewhere. These countries account for half of all under-five deaths globally, despite representing only a quarter of births.
This is a stark and unacceptable manifestation of global health inequity. And the most painful truth is that almost every maternal and newborn death is preventable.
During my recent visit to Sudan, I saw both the devastating consequences of conflict and the life-saving difference that even basic health services can make.
In Red Sea State, I visited a Save the Children-supported health centre that provides care for mothers throughout pregnancy, safe childbirth support, and essential services for newborn babies. In a context where health systems have been shattered by conflict, clinics like this can mean the difference between life and death.
But what struck me most was the fear many mothers shared.
They had heard about cuts to international aid and worried the clinic could close when they needed it most.
Later, in a camp in Atbara, I met a woman whose story I will never forget. Pregnant and fleeing violence in El Fasher, she travelled nearly 1,000 kilometres in search of safety and medical care. The journey was long and dangerous. Somewhere along the way, she lost her baby.
Her story is heartbreaking. But it is also far too common when health services collapse and safe care is out of reach.
I also met a midwife who continues to support pregnant women despite immense challenges. Funding for supplies has run out, yet she refuses to turn women away. At night, when electricity fails, she sometimes uses the light from her mobile phone to help deliver babies safely.
Her determination is inspiring — but no midwife should have to deliver babies by the light of a phone. And no mother should have to travel hundreds of kilometres while pregnant in search of care.
Yet this is the reality for far too many families.
Next week, partners and leaders from more than 40 countries will gather in Nairobi for the International Maternal Newborn Health Conference. It is a critical opportunity to strengthen global commitment and accelerate progress in preventing maternal and newborn deaths.
The truth is simple: we already have the tools and knowledge needed to save these lives. What is missing is the political will, funding and coordination to implement solutions at scale — especially in humanitarian contexts.
If we are serious about ending preventable child deaths, we must start by ensuring quality care during pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period — particularly in the fragile settings where the risks are greatest.
At Save the Children, we continue to provide essential health services to mothers and children caught in the world’s most severe crises, reaching 13.9 million people across humanitarian settings, including 7.1 million children.
But the scale of today’s needs demands far greater global action.
To protect the lives of mothers and newborns in humanitarian crises, the international community must act with urgency. Closing the funding gap for maternal, newborn and child survival is not optional — it is an imperative.
Mothers and babies living through conflict, disaster and displacement cannot rely on health systems that are depleted or collapsing. Only sustained, predictable investment will ensure they can access the care they need to survive and thrive.
Save the Children calls on governments, donors, and partners to unite behind a coordinated response and make the survival of mothers and newborns in crisis a political and financial priority. We urge:
- Increased and sustained funding for maternal, newborn, and child survival, particularly in humanitarian settings.
- Stronger coordination and more efficient funding across all partners to close gaps and ensure services reach the mothers and children most at risk.
- Investment and support for health workers — including recruitment, training, protection, and fair pay for midwives, nurses, and community health workers.
Because no mother or newborn should die from causes we already know how to prevent.
