The global partnership between UNFPA and Philips is a brainpower partnership that aims to improve the health and well-being of 50 million women and girls in countries where health challenges are greatest.

UNFPA and Philips have developed an innovative model with the Government of the Republic of the Congo to reduce maternal and newborn mortality rates by 50 per cent in the country’s health facilities over the next five years, especially in remote areas.

The partners are working together to develop a large-scale Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (EmONC) programme to improve access to high-quality and affordable maternal, neonatal and child health care for more than 500,000 women and 70,000 newborns in the Republic of the Congo.

UNFPA is supporting efforts to strengthen the capacities of midwives to deliver emergency obstetric and neonatal care services and thus increase the number of safe births, and Philips will provide the equipment, technological innovations and support required to improve the quality of these services.