$1.2M donation to UNICEF from Church of Jesus Christ to care for moms, babies in Pakistan

SALT LAKE CITY — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced a collaboration with UNICEF to bring improved care to 1.5 million mothers and their newborns in South Asia.

The two-year initiative was announced on Monday; the church shared more details in a statement on Thursday.

Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson said the initiative will close resource gaps and help mothers feel more comfortable caring for their children in "pivotal moments of their lives, helping create healthier futures for families and communities."

"Each mother and child has great worth and infinite potential, and we have seen how communities thrive when they receive the care and resources they need," she said in the statement.

The initiative focuses on Pakistan, where the church donated $1.2 million for maternal and newborn care, which will help 410,000 mothers through pregnancy, childbirth and caring for their newborn. The initiative hopes to increase care before delivery and delivery at an institution by 50% while strengthening services.

Pernille Ironside, a UNICEF representative in Pakistan, said investing in quality care for new mothers and babies saves "precious lives" and creates a "healthier, more prosperous Pakistan where every child can survive and thrive."

"The generous support of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is helping UNICEF strengthen the health systems and services needed to give children the best possible start in life," Ironside said.

In Pakistan, about 700 newborns die and another 500 babies are stillborn each day, and about two mothers die each hour from pregnancy-related complications, according to the church's statement. Preventable maternal and newborn deaths are still a challenge despite progress over the last decades across South Asia, where over six million births each year happen without a skilled health professional.

The area, according to the statement, is the second-largest contributor to maternal and newborn deaths. And Pakistan in particular has the second-highest neonatal mortality rate in the world.

Elder Kelly R. Johnson, Asia Area president for the church, said it is grateful to continue collaborating with UNICEF to help children and mothers in the area.

"The Church seeks to extend care to an ever-increasing number of God's children in need, in this case helping thousands of mothers and newborn babies in Pakistan receive access to life-saving care that will lead to a better life for each affected family," he said.

Sanjay Wijesekera, UNICEF's regional director, said nearly two-thirds of the children who die under age 5 in South Asia die in their first month of life. She said quality care before, during and after childbirth "can mean the difference between life and death."

The collaboration between The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and UNICEF will help avoid these preventable deaths for both mothers and their newborns by providing supplies and equipment, strengthening the health worker capacity to help better identify high-risk pregnancies and complications with childbirth and enhancing data and digital systems.

"For mothers and newborns alike, quality care before, during and after childbirth can mean the difference between life and death. This collaboration will help strengthen the services, skills and systems needed to prevent avoidable deaths and ensure more mothers and babies across South Asia survive and thrive."

This initiative is part of a wider effort the church has made to care for mothers and children around the world.

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