Safe pregnancy
Early and regular antenatal care, risk screening, birth planning and referral for high-risk pregnancies.
Initiative 02 · Women’s health
Every mother safe. Every cancer caught early.
A programme model that follows women through the moments that matter most: pregnancy and birth, and the screenings that turn deadly cancers into treatable ones.
The challenge
The deaths we know how to prevent.
The tools to prevent most maternal deaths and most deaths from cervical cancer already exist: skilled care in pregnancy and childbirth, vaccination, screening and simple treatment of precancerous lesions. What is missing is a system that delivers them reliably to every woman.
Our programme brings those tools together around the woman rather than the facility, and measures progress against the targets the World Health Organization has set.
1 in 55
70%
60%
The model
Care organized around her, not the building.
Services delivered in fixed facilities and on Treat on the Street routes, joined by one record and one team responsible for following her through.
Newborn and postnatal care
Checks for mother and baby in the critical first weeks, breastfeeding support and immunization.
Cervical cancer prevention
Support for HPV vaccination, screening with high-performance tests and treatment of precancerous lesions.
Breast cancer early detection
Awareness, clinical breast examination and fast referral for imaging and diagnosis.
Navigation to treatment
A named navigator who books, reminds and follows up until treatment is complete.
Community awareness
Campaigns with women’s groups, faith leaders and local media that make screening normal.
Her journey
One record, from first visit to recovery.
- 01
Reach
Invitations through community health workers, clinics and campaigns.
- 02
Screen and assess
Antenatal and cancer screening in facilities or on mobile units.
- 03
Treat
Same-visit treatment where protocols allow, or a booked referral.
- 04
Follow through
Navigation, results, follow-up and data that shows who still needs care.
Deployment
Phased, measured, owned nationally.
Baseline
Current coverage, facilities, workforce and data assessed against WHO targets.
Programme design
Protocols, staffing, supply chain, referral network and budget agreed with national authorities.
Training
Midwives, nurses, clinicians and navigators trained and supervised.
Launch and scale
Pilot districts first, then expansion as indicators improve.
Planning tool
How many units does a region need?
Move the sliders to see how fleet size, operating days and daily capacity translate into screening coverage, measured against WHO’s target of 70% of women screened.
Eligible women reached within five years88%
- Screenings per year
- 88,000
- Time to screen every eligible woman once
- 5.7 years
- Units needed to reach 70% within five years
- 8
Illustrative planning figures. Real capacity depends on routes, staffing, consumables, follow-up and national protocols; we establish them in a needs assessment.
Plan it with us
Safeguards
Dignity, consent and evidence.
- Respectful care
- Private examinations by trained staff, with women’s choices respected at every step.
- Informed consent
- Clear information in local languages before every test or treatment.
- Data protection
- Sensitive health information protected and stored under national law.
- Measured results
- Coverage, follow-up and outcome indicators reported to national authorities.
Partnership
A national effort, well managed.
Women’s health programmes succeed when leaders champion them and systems sustain them. We work alongside both.
- Ministries of health and family affairs
- Offices of first ladies and national foundations
- Development partners and multilateral agencies
- National cancer and maternal health programmes
- Professional associations of midwives and gynaecologists
Frequently asked questions
Does the programme follow international guidance?
Yes. Protocols are aligned with national guidelines and World Health Organization recommendations, including the targets of the Cervical Cancer Elimination Initiative and the Global Breast Cancer Initiative.
How does it relate to Treat on the Street?
Treat on the Street is one delivery channel for this programme, reaching communities far from facilities. The programme also strengthens fixed clinics and hospitals.
Can it start in a few districts?
Yes. We recommend starting in pilot districts, measuring results and expanding as the indicators improve.
Make women’s health a national success story.
We present the programme model, its costs and its indicators in a confidential briefing for ministries, foundations and partners.
