USAID, Kiawah Trust, and Dasra to address maternal and child mortality

Mumbai : The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Kiawah Trust of U.K., and Dasra, India’s leading strategic philanthropy foundation, on Wednesday launched a new $14 million partnership to address the healthcare needs of adolescent girls, mothers, newborns, and children in India.  The announcement was made at the Dasra Philanthropy Week 2013 in Mumbai.

Indian women and children continue to face major health challenges.  Approximately 67,000 mothers die each year from complications during pregnancy and childbirth.

Almost half of children under the age of five suffer from chronic malnutrition, with about 70 percent of these children suffering from anemia.

To address maternal and child mortality, the alliance will enable greater engagement and committed resources through a multi-stakeholder approach focused on fostering innovation, improving health outcomes, and scaling high impact interventions.

In his address, Dr. Rajiv Shah, Administrator of USAID, said, “At the forefront of global innovation and progress, India is leading the fight against some of our greatest challenges in development–from ending extreme poverty to realizing a world without hunger. But innovation alone will not lead us to solve the world’s development challenges.

Partnership and the inspiration born of local solutions hold the key to achieving unprecedented gains in human health, prosperity, and dignity.”  Dr. Shah invited India’s entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, foundations, financial institutions, investors, and philanthropists to join USAID in driving meaningful solutions to India’s development challenges.