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By Mary Mwendwa
Nairobi, Kenya: In a significant move to address one of the most critical gaps in global healthcare, the nonprofit Lifebox has been named a recipient of a major grant from the Action for Women’s Health initiative. This $250 million global fund, backed by Melinda French Gates’ Pivotal group and managed by Lever for Change, will empower Lifebox to dramatically expand its work strengthening surgical safety for women across Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and the Asia-Pacific region.
The award recognizes Lifebox’s vital mission: making surgery and anesthesia safer worldwide. For women, particularly in low-resource settings, access to safe surgery is a matter of life and death.
“Support from Action for Women’s Health will enable Lifebox and our partners to strengthen safer surgical systems for women by empowering maternity and gynecological surgical teams with practical, evidence-based tools to prevent surgical infection and improve outcomes,” said Kris Torgeson, Lifebox Global CEO.
The need is urgent. Every year, more than four million people die following surgery, with women disproportionately affected.
“Unsafe surgery is one of the most urgent and solvable challenges in global health, especially for women,” explained Dr. Tihitena Negussie Mammo, Lifebox Global Clinical Director and pediatric surgeon. “At Lifebox, we’ve reduced postoperative complications and deaths, including those following cesarean section, by up to 40%. Strengthening surgical safety for women saves lives today and builds the foundation for healthier families and societies.”
The focus on cesarean sections is particularly critical. It is the most common surgery in the world, accounting for nearly a third of all operations in low- and middle-income countries. Despite being a lifesaving procedure, it carries significant risks, with surgical site infections being the second leading cause of maternal death after postpartum hemorrhage.
Lifebox’s targeted “Clean Cut for Cesarean Section” program tackles this head-on. Using an evidence-based approach, it strengthens compliance with six critical infection prevention standards, directly reducing complications for mothers and their newborns.
Professor Salome Maswime,Vice Chair of the Lifebox Global Governance Council, obstetrician-gynecologist, and Head of the Global Surgery Division at the University of Cape Town, emphasized the human impact: “As an obstetrician, I know that too many women’s lives depend on access to safe and timely surgery. No woman should die while giving life. By strengthening surgical systems, we are transforming maternal health from survival to high-quality care, improving safety and dignity for every woman, everywhere.”
Selected from over 4,000 applicants across 119 countries, Lifebox is among 80+ organizations awarded for their groundbreaking solutions to improve women’s health. This catalytic funding will allow Lifebox to scale its proven, life-saving interventions, ensuring that more women survive childbirth and go on to lead healthy lives.
