MMV announced as an Action for Women’s Health awardee

MMV has been announced as one of 80+ organizations that were awarded funding through Action for Women’s Health, a $250 million global open call, launched in 2024 to support organizations working to improve women’s mental and physical health around the world.  

MMV’s submission was recognised for its focus on pregnant and breastfeeding women in the research and development of appropriate antimalarials, marking a significant and valuable contribution to advancing women’s health. 

The open call is funded by Pivotal, a group of impact organizations founded by Melinda French Gates, and managed by Lever for Change, an organization with a track record of identifying bold ideas to solve the world’s most pressing problems.  

Advancing women’s health 

Although women make up half of the world’s population, they face inequities in nearly every aspect of their health. Women’s health is chronically underfunded and under-researched, and even when resources and solutions do exist, they often aren’t reaching the women who need them.  

Malaria illustrates this disparity vividly. Women and girls of childbearing age carry a disproportionate burden of the disease. Pregnant women are among the most vulnerable to severe malaria complications because their immune systems are naturally compromised. For decades, recommended antimalarial treatment options during pregnancy and lactation were severely limited, putting both mother and newborn at significant risk. MMV was chosen for its innovative, scalable, and equitable solutions that address these gaps and advance women’s health. 

Scaling availability of treatments and championing maternal health 

Since its launch in 2020, the Malaria in Mothers and Babies (MiMBa) initiative has elevated the standard of malaria care for pregnant and breastfeeding women and their babies. Key achievements include: developing Coartem Baby with Novartis to meet the unmet malaria needs of infants; collaborating with partners to generate robust safety and efficacy data on antimalarial use during the first trimester of pregnancy to inform product labelling; and supporting African manufacturers to produce quality-approved medicines for preventing malaria in pregnancy. 

This additional funding will enable MiMBa to accelerate critical activities across the entire spectrum – from pre-clinical development to patient access – while leveraging and expanding innovations and insights beyond malaria to advance the maternal health agenda. 

Martin Fitchet, CEO of MMV, commented: “We are extremely grateful for Pivotal’s support in advancing R&D and improving access to health tools for neglected populations, such as pregnant and lactating women affected by malaria. The grant will enable us to identify and implement targeted solutions to address critical gaps and enhance the quality of care for mothers and their babies.”  

Building on progress   

The funding from Pivotal will serve as a catalyst to scale up the MiMBa initiative and generate insights that can be applied to other diseases. Building on the progress achieved since 2020, this new support acts as a powerful booster, enabling MMV to drive impact and sustainability through partnerships with regional and national authorities, researchers in malaria-endemic countries, community representatives, and other innovators. “Through this work, we also hope to create lasting impact and strengthen R&D capacity in the countries where we operate,” concluded Fitchet. 

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About the Action for Women’s Health global open call 

Over 4,000 organizations from 119 countries applied, offering solutions across the lifespan for women. After a rigorous peer and expert review process, 80+ organizations were identified, many of whom have historically lacked access to major funding streams. This funding will have real impact for women across geographies, life stages, and identities.  

More information about the initiative and awardees is available on the Lever for Change website.