Lifebox gets action for health award to advance surgical safety for women globally

Kampala, Uganda   | THE INDEPENDENT | Lifebox, a global non-profit focused on making surgery and anesthesia safer worldwide, has been named one of the awardees of Action for Women’s Health, a $250 million global funding initiative supporting organizations working to improve women’s mental and physical health. The open call, launched in 2024, is funded by Pivotal, a group of impact organizations founded by Melinda French Gates, and managed by Lever for Change.

The award recognizes Lifebox’s efforts to address safe surgery one of the most under-resourced yet critical areas of women’s health. The grant will allow the organization and its partners to expand work aimed at improving the safety and quality of surgical and anesthesia care for women and families across Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and the Asia-Pacific region.

“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,” stated Kris Torgeson, Lifebox Global CEO.

“The grant will allow Lifebox to dramatically scale our work with partners to strengthen the safety and quality of surgical systems for women’s health worldwide.”

The Action for Women’s Health initiative received applications from more than 4,000 organizations across 119 countries, proposing solutions across all stages of women’s lives. After an extensive peer and expert review process, just over 80 organizations were selected many of which have traditionally had limited access to major funding streams. The funding is expected to create meaningful impact across regions and demographics.

“Every year, more than four million people die following surgery. Unsafe surgery is one of the most urgent and solvable challenges in global health, especially for women,” said 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.”

Cesarean delivery remains the most common surgery globally, representing nearly a third of all operations in low- and middle-income countries. In many health systems, lifesaving procedures for women including cesarean sections make up nearly half of all surgeries. Despite advances in obstetric care, the procedure still carries significant risks, especially surgical site infections, which remain the second leading cause of maternal death after postpartum hemorrhage.

To address these risks, Lifebox’s Clean Cut for Cesarean Section (CS) programme improves compliance with six critical infection-prevention standards, helping reduce complications for mothers and newborns.

“As an obstetrician and gynecologist, I know that too many women’s lives depend on access to safe and timely surgery. No woman should die while giving life,” said Professor Salome Maswime Vice Chair of the Lifebox Global Governance Council.

By strengthening surgical systems, we are transforming maternal health from survival to high-quality care, improving safety and dignity for every woman, everywhere”.