IMNHC 2026 kicked off yesterday with dynamic pre-conference sessions that blended technical insight with hands-on engagement:

• A session on maternal RSV immunization highlighted the potential of new vaccines against RSV in antenatal care to improve survival and health of young infants. Over half of participants reported having little prior knowledge of maternal RSV vaccination, highlighting the need for urgent awareness-building. Advocacy emerged as the top priority, alongside calls for stronger community engagement, local data, and equitable access—particularly for underserved middle-income countries
• A session from the Every Woman, Every Newborn, Everywhere Health Products Working Group and Unitaid on unlocking access to quality MNH commodities shared modeling data that showed that improving MNH product availability could account for nearly half of all lives saved, and when combined with a strong health workforce, the impact could reach up to 90%. At this session, Unitaid launched a new US$52 million initiative called SUPREME to introduce and scale up existing interventions and emerging innovations to ensure pregnant women receive timely detection and treatment for preeclampsia and anemia.
• Momentum continued with the Midwifery Accelerator Symposium, which brought partners together around a shared goal—scaling midwifery models of care that we already know work. The focus here was practical and action-oriented: how do we actually plan, cost, and deliver these models at scale? The answer lies in aligning investments, strengthening systems, and putting midwives—quite literally—at the center of care.
• Two sessions focused on accelerating improvements in MNH data quality, collection, and use to drive progress toward 2030 goals. The first session, organized by WHO, UNICEF and UNFPA, opened with a quote from ⁠Helga Fogstad, Director of Health, UNICEF: “Without data, our progress goes dark.” That session emphasized global coordination, standardization, and a shift toward individual-level data, alongside the need to strengthen routine national systems and align tools. The second session, co-hosted by NEST360 and Beginnings Fund, highlighted country-led digital innovations and real-world experiences in scaling electronic data systems, while addressing persistent quality gaps and showcasing the potential of dashboards and AI. Together, both sessions reinforced the urgency of investing in robust, integrated data systems as a foundation for faster and more effective MNH outcomes.

The official Opening Plenary shifted the discussions from momentum to mission. H.E. Dr Jean Kaseya, Director-General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), set the tone with a stark reminder: every hour, lives are being lost, and it is simply not acceptable. Alongside that urgency, he shared a bold call to action to invest in family-centered care, fix inefficiencies, embrace digital innovation, and build local manufacturing capacity so countries can meet their own needs.

From Kenya’s Ministry of Health, Ms. Mary Muthoni, Principal Secretary, and the Hon. Aden Duale, Cabinet Secretary (speaking on behalf of His Excellency President William Ruto) echoed Dr. Kaseya’s points with a strong emphasis on equity and implementation. With millions already enrolled in social health insurance in Kenya and a growing focus on primary healthcare, the message was simple: this is what progress looks like, but we must go further and faster.

Across the plenary, one theme kept resurfacing: this is the moment to move from commitments to actual results. Behind every statistic we discuss this week is a person—a mother, a child, a family. The closing panel featuring Nafisa Jiddawi, Midwife and Founder of WAJAMAMA and Koiwah Koi-Larbi of Action on Pre-eclampsia who shared their own deeply moving stories that brought these realities into sharp focus, reminding us that lived experience must anchor our decisions, and that the cost of inaction is measured in lives.

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Day one left us energized, aligned, and ready. With momentum building, critical questions on equity, access, and implementation firmly on the table, the stage is now set for even deeper dialogue and action—so, what will today bring?