Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health - Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation

Our Work › Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health

Healthy Mothers. Healthy Futures.

Healthy mothers are the foundation of healthy families and communities. Our work in Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (MNCH) ensures that every woman, child, and family has access to the care they need, from pregnancy and childbirth through early childhood and beyond. We integrate HIV prevention and treatment into broader maternal and child health services, creating a continuum of care that supports families at every stage of life.

Comprehensive, Integrated Care

In many of the communities where we work, women travel long distances — often with limited transportation and financial resources — to reach a health facility. By bringing these services together under one roof, we reduce barriers to care and ensure that every woman and child receives the support they need to live long, healthy lives. EGPAF supports the delivery of integrated, comprehensive health services so families can receive multiple forms of care in one visit.

At EGPAF-supported sites, this means offering:

Routine maternal and child health services alongside HIV care

TB screening and treatment

Syphilis screening and treatment

Cervical cancer screening and treatment

Family planning and reproductive health services

Nutritional support for mothers and children

Addressing Gender Inequality and Empowering Youth

Too often, women and girls are denied access to basic health care. Around the world, adolescent girls and young women are disproportionately affected by HIV, with nearly 5,000 new infections each week. Gender inequality, harmful norms, intergenerational relationships, and limited access to education all heighten their vulnerability. EGPAF is working to change this. Through our programs, we:

Empower girls and young women to make informed decisions about their health
Engage men and boys as partners in promoting gender equality
Integrate sexual and reproductive health services into HIV care
Provide youth-friendly services that respond to adolescents’ unique needs

By mobilizing young people and strengthening health systems, EGPAF helps create environments where women, girls, and families can thrive.

HCW guiding a caregiver through cervical cancer screening process at Ndhiwa sub county hospital, Ndhiwa, Homabay. Photo by Kevin Ouma for EGPAF.

Preventing Cervical Cancer

Cervical cancer remains one of the leading causes of death among women in Africa — and women living with HIV face an even greater risk. EGPAF works to change that by expanding access to prevention, screening, and treatment.

Across multiple countries, we have:

Supported vaccination campaigns to prevent human papillomavirus (HPV), the primary cause of cervical cancer Scaled up visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA), a simple, effective screening method for early detection
Established a Center of Excellence in Lesotho that trains and mentors health workers across the country in cervical cancer identification and treatment

These efforts ensure that women have the tools and knowledge to protect themselves — and their families — from preventable disease.

Toward Triple Elimination

EGPAF is a leader in the global movement toward Triple Elimination — the simultaneous elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B. Achieving this goal requires strong health systems, consistent antenatal care, and integrated testing and treatment for mothers and newborns.

Through partnerships with ministries of health, global agencies, and communities, EGPAF is helping countries implement the policies, training, and service delivery models needed to reach elimination targets.

Because when mothers are healthy and babies are born free from preventable infections, entire generations can thrive.