July is: Maternal & Child Health Month

Reproduced from: Rotary Service in Action Blog [accessed 25th July 2026]

7 ways your club can help mothers and babies start strong

In a small home in rural Tecpan, Guatemala, Doña Fidelia stands beside a pregnant woman, listening to and examining her. She has attended births for years, but now she plays a larger role within a Rotary-supported maternal health service project.  

Meanwhile, across the world, Rotary clubs in Japan and Taiwan collaborate to reduce deaths among premature babies in remote eastern Taiwan.

These projects show Rotary’s long-standing commitment to maternal and child health.  Below are practical ways your club can help communities provide quality care to mothers and babies. But first, it’s important to understand the need for this work.

Why this work still matters

Despite progress, too many families still lack access to basic care. According to data from UNICEF,

• Almost 5 million children under age five die from preventable or treatable causes

• Most deaths occur in communities facing poverty and limited access to care

• Mothers and newborns remain especially vulnerable during pregnancy, childbirth, and early life

Simple, proven interventions — like skilled care during childbirth, vaccinations, and support from trained community health workers — can prevent many of these deaths.

An intentional approach to impact

Rotary’s Global Health Pathway to Impact focuses on improving how we plan, deliver, and measure projects.

Key priorities include:

• Expanding the number of quality projects in global health

• Using stronger data to measure our outcomes and impact

• Supporting long-term, sustainable efforts

• Aligning with national health systems

• Connecting projects across areas of focus

• Raising awareness of Rotary’s role in global health

This approach reflects what we see in communities like Guatemala and Taiwan — where strong partnerships and local knowledge lead to better care, fewer preventable deaths, and healthier outcomes for mothers and children.

Strengthen your service projects

Here are seven practical ways to apply these ideas in your own maternal and child health projects:

1. Start by listening. Take time to understand people’s beliefs about maternal and child health. Build trust through open, respectful communication.

   
   

2. Tap into local expertise. Work with Rotary and Rotaract members who are trained in maternal and newborn health, including local midwives, obstetricians, and gynecologists. Include the expertise of local professionals who are not part of Rotary.  

   
   

3. Use Rotary resources. The Conducting Community Assessments handbook, the Rotary Impact Handbook, The Rotary Foundation Cadre of Technical Advisers, and Rotary Action Groups can help you plan and deliver stronger projects.

   
   

4. Align with health systems. Work with local and national health partners so your project supports existing services and strategies.

   
   

5. Focus on long-term change. Go beyond equipment or infrastructure. Strengthen systems, skills, and behaviors for lasting impact.

   
   

6. Look for connections. Integrate maternal and child health priorities into other projects to address related challenges more effectively.

   
   

7. Measure and share results. Collect data and share what you learn in the Service Project Center so others can build on your work.

You can also connect with the Rotary Action Group for Reproductive Maternal Health for support in planning and scaling your project.

Moving forward, together

Maternal and child health is at the heart of Rotary’s work in global health. By focusing on stronger systems, better data, and lasting partnerships, we can help more expectant mothers and babies access the care they deserve.