About us

In May 2023, nearly 1,800 delegates from 95 countries gathered in Cape Town, South Africa for the first gathering of the global maternal newborn health (MNH) community in almost a decade. The International Maternal Newborn Health Conference (IMNHC) 2023 re-energized our collective movement and catalyzed countries to accelerate action for the health of mothers and newborns in support of shared global goals.

Since then, over 60 countries have been addressing priorities, commitments, and plans to drive progress for MNH and the prevention of stillbirths. But prioritizing MNH amidst unprecedented disruption in this global health landscape is tough. Sharing our learning to inform collective action is more important than ever.

IMNHC 2026 will mark a critical moment for the MNH community to regroup and chart our way forward, together, to ensure mothers and newborns around the world not only survive but thrive. We will drive urgent action for the health of mothers and newborns by investigating where we are and the challenges that remain; exchanging the most effective tools, best practices, and evidence; fostering accountability; and unlocking new funding and partnerships to transform the future.

Conference vision

Take collective action to ensure mothers and newborns not only survive but thrive.

Conference mission

To meet the moment and move forward together, we will drive urgent action for the health of mothers and newborns by collectively reviewing progress, adapting strategies, and creating new solutions and partnerships.

Conference Objectives

1

Take stock of progress and gaps as a community. Check in on where progress has been made, where we are lagging, and how we can collectively—and quickly—move forward to ensure all women and children can access quality care.

2

Unpack what works and barriers to progress. Celebrate successes and discuss how to bring them to scale while diving deep into thorny issues and pain points, creating generative space to solve problems in new, different, and interactive ways.

3

Promote strategies to establish and strengthen commitments for maternal and newborn health. Collectively create new ways of working that will engage decision-makers, unlock commitments and funding, integrate and prioritize MNH within broader health agendas, strengthen accountability, and drive change towards 2030 and beyond.

4

Infuse energy, motivation, and focus. Nurture productive and meaningful connections across countries inclusive of advocates, implementers, civil society, researchers, and technical experts.