About us

The Maternal Health Unit (MAH) provides leadership for improving maternal and perinatal health and well-being and ending preventable maternal mortality.  MAH generates programmatic-focused evidence, develops guidelines, norms and standards, and supports regions and countries in adaptation, implementation and monitoring of person-centered quality and respectful maternal and perinatal care through advocacy, partnerships, policy dialogue and capacity building. 

Priority areas include improving quality of maternal and perinatal care, strengthening midwifery education and care, promoting stakeholder engagement at all levels, standardizing monitoring and measurement and promoting private sector engagement in maternal and perinatal health.

The MAH unit leads strategic initiatives such as Ending Preventable Maternal Mortality, the WHO Network for Improving Quality of Care for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, the Muskoka Partnership, the MoNITOR technical advisory group for maternal and newborn measurement, and coordinates the WHO Collaborating Center Midwifery Network.

MAH engages with in advocacy efforts, policy dialogue and capacity building and conducts implementation research to contextualize implementation and monitoring evidence-based maternal and perinatal care.