Funder
Individual Donations
Project Goals
Improved maternal health: reducing anemia, micronutrient deficiencies, and maternal mortality.
Healthier babies: lower rates of low birth weight, stillbirth, and congenital malformations.
Stunting prevention when extended to infants after 6 months.
Overview
Mothers in Egypt do not get the nutrients they need during pregnancy, leading to lifelong health risks. Pathfinder’s pilot project will improve health outcomes by providing mothers and babies with the nutrients they need—saving lives and generating evidence to scale the project across Egypt.
Maternal and child malnutrition in Egypt contributes to low birth weight, stunting, stillbirths, and congenital malformations. Current supplementation (Iron & Folic Acid only) leaves gaps in maternal and neonatal health. Pathfinder will introduce multiple micronutrient supplementation (MMS) to 50k women in two governorates, working to: Improve maternal and newborn health, reducing anemia and maternal mortality in mothers, and low birth weight, stillbirths, and congenital malformations in babies. Increase stunting prevention when extended to infants after 6 months.
Project Activities
- Pathfinder will pilot MMS in two governorates (Minya and Marsa Matrouh), reaching 50,000 women of reproductive age through 1,500 clinics and communities
- Provide MMS to women before and during pregnancy to improve maternal and newborn health
- Strengthen the health system by testing digital supply chains, provider training, and updated service protocols
- Engage communities with awareness campaigns to increase understanding and uptake of MMS
- Generate evidence and lessons for scaling up nationwide under Ministry of Health and Population leadership
Maternal Health Context in Egypt
- Health expenditure makes up 4.6% of Egypt’s GDP
- 37.90% of married women aged 15-49 have anemia
- 76.9% of women show persistent vitamin deficiencies
