Brazzaville/New York 26 May 2026 – UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, today signed a new Memorandum of Understanding with the African Development Bank (AfDB) to position maternal health and demographic resilience as central pillars of Africa's economic transformation.

The agreement, signed on the margins of the African Development Bank annual meeting, frames investment in maternal health not only as a health issue but also as an investment in economic growth, productivity, resilience and human capital development, to enable countries across the continent to harness their demographic dividend.

Africa has made huge progress in reducing maternal mortality, but ongoing challenges remain, linked to structural obstacles, unequal access to quality health services, and financing gaps. "Immense opportunity is within Africa's grasp if we make strategic investments in women and young people. 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," said Diene Keita, Executive Director of UNFPA. "This renewed partnership reflects our shared commitment to put maternal health and human capital development at the heart of Africa's economic transformation agenda."

As part of the partnership, UNFPA and the African Development Bank will explore innovative financing and implementation mechanisms to help countries unlock investment in women and young people as drivers of Africa’s growth. Priorities include investments to modernize the health workforce through digital training; strengthening local procurement systems; upgrading climate-resilient health infrastructure; and supporting the digitization of health information systems, among others.

Since 1992, UNFPA and the AfDB have worked together to advance health systems and data-driven development across Africa. Just a few of the many achievements from this collaboration include:

• Modernization of population data in the Government of Côte d’Ivoire’s most recent census, enabling projections on fertility, mortality, migration and other key areas.

• Improved access to Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care services across 11 health districts of Cameroon, bringing antenatal care coverage to 90% in targeted areas and bringing the modern contraceptive prevalence rate to far above the national average.

• Awareness raising and behaviour change activities linking water, sanitation and hygiene with reproductive health and gender across eight rural regions of Madagascar.

• Integrating gender equality, sexual and reproductive health and protection considerations into climate adaptation planning across 10 countries of East and Southern Africa.

UNFPA will work with the AfDB to ensure that demographic transition roadmaps sit at the heart of national financing strategies, ensuring that investments in health and rights are recognized as smart investments for Africa's future.

Media contacts
Siaka Traore Traore@unfpa.org; media@unfpa.org WhatsApp number: +226 74132323
Mathias Teumeni Noune teumeninoune@unfpa.org Whatsapp number: +242 052050616

About UNFPA UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, is the sexual and reproductive health agency of the UN, working to uphold the rights and choices of women, girls and young people across more than 150 countries and territories. It reaches millions of women, girls and young people with essential health services, protection from violence, and with vital information about their bodies and rights. It also helps governments plan for changing population needs so people can thrive today and in the future, regardless of fertility trends.