Merck Expands Commitment to Maternal Health Through Latest Round of Global Grants

Merck has announced the latest recipients of its Global Grants as part of Merck for Mothers, the company’s global initiative to help create a world where no woman has to die while giving life. With five new grantees across the Latin America and Asia Pacific regions, the company is expanding its social impact through strategic collaborations with organizations working to improve maternal health.

Maternal mortality persists as a reality for too many women, as the World Health Organization estimates that 800 women around the world die from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth every day. Globally, at the current rate, it is likely that more than 4 out of 5 countries will not achieve their national maternal mortality target reduction by 2030 – stressing the importance of immediate progress.

“For over a decade, the Merck for Mothers Global Grants program has focused on addressing the specific needs of women around the world by supporting efforts to expand access to maternal health services at the community level,” said Jacque Caglia, Head, Merck for Mothers. “The organizations we proudly selected for these latest collaborations exemplify targeted, evidence-based solutions designed to overcome regional challenges and help every woman have access to the care she needs around pregnancy and childbirth.”

The Merck for Mothers Global Grants program is strategically designed to address the unique needs of women at the local level, extending the company’s support to numerous countries worldwide. Since its inception, the program has contributed over $46 million, supporting over 85 projects across more than 45 global locations.

In Latin America and the Caribbean, around 8,400 women die annually from pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum complications, driven by limited access to quality maternal health and family planning services. Migrant women, Indigenous populations, those in remote areas and women with low socioeconomic status face the highest risks. Similarly, the Asia Pacific region reports a maternal mortality rate of 67 deaths per 100,000 live births, with progress hindered by conflict, poverty, weak infrastructure, inadequate monitoring systems, and unequal health care access.

The newly selected global grants focus on high-impact activities that tackle issues unique to their selected region, but all have a common goal of improving maternal health care.

Asia Pacific Region:

• Cambodia | The Japanese Organization for International Cooperation in Family Planning will work to improve access to quality maternal and child health care and family planning services in Stung Treng Province, focusing on teenage girls and women from Indigenous and ethnic minority groups.
• Indonesia | Project HOPE will strengthen the capacity of health care providers to improve the quality and timeliness of emergency obstetric services at primary health facilities, while also deploying their Safe Delivery digital application, a mobile health tool to enhance emergency care protocols and equip frontline health workers with critical knowledge and skills.

Latin America Region:

• Argentina | UNICEF Argentina will improve the quality of maternal health care that women and adolescents from Indigenous communities receive using an intercultural approach designed to meet the unique challenges and needs of those communities.
• Brazil | Sociedade Beneficente Israelita Brasileira Albert Einstein will improve the quality of maternity care across Brazil, with the goal of reducing the maternal mortality ratio by 30% in participating facilities. A pilot project is testing a new training curriculum to address the challenge of health care provider training in the context of high turnover among health care providers.
• Honduras, Peru | The Pan American Health Organization will improve the capacity of the health system by training nearly 500 health providers to diagnose and treat obstetric emergencies and expand access to high-quality, equitable maternal health care.

As Merck for Mothers continues its mission, these grants represent another critical step toward eliminating preventable maternal deaths and creating a safer, healthier future for women and families globally.

To learn more about the Merck for Mothers Global Grants program, including current and past grantees, please visit: https://www.merckformothers.com/where-we-work/global-grants.html