Over $2 million in prize funding is available for Solve's 2020 Global Challenges, including Maternal & Newborn Health. Learn more.

Every 11 seconds, a woman or newborn under one month old dies of complications related to pregnancy or childbirth, mostly from preventable or treatable causes. While the majority of these deaths occur in low-income countries, marginalized communities everywhere are disproportionately affected: in the United States, for example, a black woman is 3.3 times more likely to die from a complication in pregnancy or childbirth than a white woman. And as the COVID-19 pandemic sweeps the globe, overwhelming healthcare systems, access to essential health services becomes even more difficult for women and newborns—particularly those who are vulnerable.

Even after childbirth, obstacles to physical and mental well-being abound, from premature birth complications for babies to postpartum complications for women. Notably, the first month of a child’s life, the newborn period, is the most critical for survival and brain development.

The MIT Solve community is looking for technology-based solutions that promote the health and well-being of women, new mothers, and newborns everywhere. To that end, Solve seeks solutions that:

• Expand access to high-quality, affordable maternal and newborn care for women, new mothers, and newborns, including by expanding the health workforce, improving service delivery and diagnostics, and lowering barriers to seeking care, including stigma;
• Decrease the risk of disease among mothers and newborns, including by increasing vaccination rates and reducing infectious disease transmission from mother to baby;
• Improve gynecological health for all women; and
• Support the mental and emotional health of women throughout pregnancy and after childbirth, through psychological and medical care, as well as community support.

For more details on Solver Funding, Prize, and Partnership Eligibility for the Maternal & Newborn Health Challenge, visit the Prizes tab.