In West Africa, poor access to quality health care leaves women and newborns facing among the world’s highest risks of preventable death during the critical pregnancy and post-pregnancy periods. Global Communities—through partner IntraHealth International—is working with countries in the region to improve that situation through INSPiRE: Women’s & Newborn Health in West Africa.
With funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, INSPiRE developed and tested a model for integrating essential services for mothers, infants, and young children that demonstrated cost-effectiveness. The model is now being implemented in 14,826 health facilities (as of June 2025) in Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, and Togo, with co-funding from several local partners.
The integration model gives women access to a comprehensive package of services during a single visit to the health facility, whether their entry point is for antenatal care during pregnancy, delivery services, postpartum care after delivery, or a return visit with a child. The services include essential maternal and infant care, nutrition, immunizations, and postpartum family planning for women who want to avoid an unintended pregnancy or one that is too closely spaced. Providing all of these services in one visit avoids missed opportunities, especially for women who live in rural and remote areas and must travel long distances to reach a health facility.
“The results have been very positive,” notes Rachelle Gamba, a midwife in Burkina Faso, “For example, when a woman comes in for a consultation, providers now proactively identify all her needs, not just the initial reason for her visit, to offer integrated care. Service use has also increased significantly. Women who benefit from this care share their positive experiences, encouraging others… They appreciate not only receiving the services they sought but also those they hadn’t initially considered.”
Since 2019, supported health facilities in pilot countries (Burkina Faso Côte d’Ivoire, and Niger) have seen a 275% increase in users of postpartum family planning services along with a 380% increase in well-baby visits for growth monitoring. To sustain and expand the INSPiRE model, the project coordinates synergistically with a Francophone Africa regional community of practice for integrated services chaired by the West African Health Organization, which supports resource and partner mobilization for scale-up.
As its name implies, this project is designed to inspire West Africans to see a future in which the lives of more mothers and babies can be saved and improved through receiving all of the health services they need.
“This is a great way to advance universal health coverage in countries where access to care remains a big challenge,” states Marguerite Ndour, INSPiRE’s director. “This work is not only critical for progress in the region, but it’s also a model to achieve greater impact around the world.”