Stronger Mothers, Healthier Babies!

Pathfinder International and the Ministry of Health and Population are launching Sanad, a maternal nutrition and community engagement initiative that will support pregnant women in Egypt. The funding allows us to address a critical gap by combining access to locally produced maternal nutrition supplements with community-based awareness and support activities that encourage healthy pregnancy practices and supplement adherence. 

Sanad is unique because it supports Egypt's transition from traditional iron and folic acid (IFA) supplementation toward a more comprehensive maternal nutrition approach, while simultaneously strengthening community awareness and engagement. The initiative is being developed in close partnership with the Ministry of Health and Population (MOHP) and aligns with the Ministry's broader vision for improving maternal nutrition outcomes nationwide. A particularly innovative aspect of the initiative is its emphasis on local production. Through collaboration with an Egyptian manufacturer, Sanad will support the use of locally produced maternal nutrition supplements that are closely aligned with WHO-recommended MMS formulations. This approach has the potential to reduce reliance on imported products, strengthen local manufacturing capacity, improve long-term affordability and availability, and support sustainable national scale-up. Beyond supplement provision, Sanad recognizes that successful adoption depends on community understanding, family support, and adherence. By combining maternal nutrition supplementation with community engagement activities, the initiative will generate valuable implementation lessons on how best to support women throughout pregnancy while advancing MOHP's efforts to transition from IFA to enhanced maternal nutrition supplementation at scale.