Stillbirths have fallen by more than a third since 2000, but progress has slowed since 2015. The Gates Foundation and Wellcome Leap will each put US$50m over three years into Uzima, a programme to halve stillbirth rates in selected countries within ten years.
UN estimates published in March 2025 show stillbirths falling by more than a third worldwide since 2000. Over the same period, deaths of children under five more than halved.
Since 2015 the pace of reduction in stillbirths has slowed by 53%, compared with 2000 to 2015. About 1.9 million babies were still stillborn in 2023. On 12 October the Gates Foundation and Wellcome Leap pledged US$100m to a programme designed to halve stillbirth rates in selected countries within a decade.
Eye tests, labour sensors and AI ultrasound
The programme is called Uzima, a Swahili word meaning “life and well-being”. It will look for tools that help families and health workers spot danger earlier in pregnancy and labour. The Gates Foundation announcement lists diagnostic tests and imaging first. These include eye examinations to detect pre-eclampsia and gestational diabetes, and AI-assisted ultrasound for low-resource settings.
Sensors to monitor labour, decision-support software for health workers and patient navigation for mothers make up the rest. Community health workers are included in that navigation strand.
Pre-eclampsia is one of the hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. The World Health Organization (WHO) links these conditions to more than 500,000 stillbirths and newborn deaths a year. Last week it launched a ten-year research roadmap to tackle them.
US$50m each, and a call for partners
Each funder will give US$50m over the first three years. They launched the programme in Berlin during the World Health Summit. It starts with partners in sub-Saharan Africa, but no country has been named. The first will be announced “in the coming months”, and participating countries will help shape the work.
Regina E. Dugan, chief executive of Wellcome Leap, said: “Stillbirth is not an inevitable tragedy. We have new tools and the science needed to change outcomes.” Anita Zaidi, president of the Gender Equality Division at the Gates Foundation, said: “We’re working toward a future where no mother, baby, or child dies from a preventable cause.”
Zaidi told a summit session that the sum would fall short of what is needed. “The $100 million is not going to be enough to scale,” she said, as Health Policy Watch reported. Both funders are inviting governments, philanthropies and investors to join.
Where the risk is highest
Sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia account for nearly 80% of stillbirths. Women there are six to eight times more likely to have a stillbirth than women in Europe or North America, the UN agencies found. Some 45% of late stillbirths happen during labour, often linked to maternal infections, prolonged or obstructed labour and lack of timely care.
Antenatal contacts that lower the risk
WHO’s antenatal care guideline, published in 2016 and still current, recommends at least eight contacts during pregnancy. The first should come within the first 12 weeks, with one ultrasound scan before 24 weeks. WHO says eight or more contacts can cut perinatal deaths by up to 8 per 1,000 births, compared with four visits.
The UN agencies also point to timely care from health professionals at birth. Women can ask their clinic how many antenatal visits are offered and whether an early scan is available.
In the UK, the NHS advises calling a midwife or maternity unit straight away if a baby is moving less than usual or the pattern changes. It says not to wait until the next day, even in the middle of the night.
Uzima’s first package of innovations is due by early 2027. After the three-year phase, the funders plan to help participating countries put the most effective approaches into wider use.
If you have been affected by stillbirth, the International Stillbirth Alliance keeps a global registry of support organisations for bereaved parents.
This article is for information only and does not replace advice from a qualified health professional.
Header image: National Cancer Institute on Unsplash