Maternal & Child Health
What is Maternal & Child Health?
Each year, 350,000 women die due to complications during childbirth, and approximately 10 million children die before reaching their 5th birthday. In the vast majority of cases, the causes of these deaths are preventable, occurring because expectant mothers and young children do not have access to health care services and informational resources or receive sub-standard medical care.
Drawing inspiration from the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Saving Lives at Birth Grand Challenge for Development and Child Survival Call to Action, the Improving Maternal and Child Health Competition rewards innovative solutions to safeguard the health of expectant mothers and young children. Solutions may focus on several areas, including, but not limited to: (1) technology; (2) service delivery; and (3) education and empowerment programs. Strong consideration will be given to proposals that demonstrate the potential for broad impact, replicability and innovation.
There is no geographic restriction (i.e. “domestic” or “international”). However, all proposals must focus on improving child and maternal health outcomes in underserved or hard-to-reach areas.
Examples of proposals that would fit into this category include:
- An innovative health care delivery program that increases access to maternal and child health services in hard-to-reach areas
- A novel education program that empowers pregnant women and young families to practice healthy behaviors and promote awareness of and access to health care services
- A health care technology invention that allows for early detection or treatment of common maternal and child illnesses
- A program to enhance nutrition for mothers and children by increasing access to nutrients in staple foods or working to bolster policies for better nutrition
Category Specific Rules
The Maternal & Child Health category is open to all matriculated undergraduate and graduate students in the University of California system. Multidisciplinary teams are strongly encouraged. For additional information about general contest rules, timing, and how to apply, please refer to the Contest Application Requirements.
Background
The Improving Maternal and Child Health category is sponsored by the Blum Center for Developing Economies at UC Berkeley in cooperation with USAID. Award administration and funding will be provided by the Blum Center.
Past Winners
“Maternal and Child Health” is a new category. However, projects that address maternal and child health issues have been submitted in previous years, including:
 Jacaranda Health |
Category Specific Resources
USAID Grand Challenge: Saving Lives at Birth
Gates Foundation – Maternal, Newborn & Child Health
PATH – Healthy Moms, Healthy Children
Sponsors
United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
Since 1961, USAID has been the principal U.S. agency to extend assistance to countries recovering from disaster, trying to escape poverty, and engaging in democratic reforms. The Blum Center links world-class faculty, inspiring new curriculum, and innovative technologies, services and business models to create real-world solutions for developing economies.
Blum Center for Developing Economies at UC Berkeley
The Blum Center links world-class faculty, inspiring new curriculum, and innovative technologies, services and business models to create real-world solutions for developing economies.
Bixby Center for Population, Health & Sustainability
The Bixby Center for Population, Health, and Sustainability is a collaboration of students, faculty, researchers, and staff working to improve maternal health and address the impact of population on global public health and the environment.
