From Commitment to Impact: The Leadership Engine Behind CARMMA Plus
CARMMA Plus is rooted in strong, visionary leadership and robust partnerships that are essential to achieving equitable, high-impact outcomes in Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health and Nutrition (RMNCAH+N) across Africa. Through political will, technical collaboration, and community-driven approaches, the campaign mobilizes a broad coalition of actors to ensure that no woman, child, or adolescent is left behind.
Our Partners
Political Leadership at the Forefront
At the heart of CARMMA Plus is the African Union Commission (AUC), which provides overarching political stewardship and coordination across Member States. Under the mandate of the African Health Strategy (AHS) and the AU’s broader development frameworks such as Agenda 2063 and Silencing the Guns, CARMMA Plus aligns continental aspirations with global health and nutrition commitments, including the SDGs, UNFPA’s Three Zeros, and the Every Woman Every Child Global Strategy.
Heads of State and Government, Ministers of Health, Finance, Gender, Youth, and Social Development are pivotal in driving national ownership. Through the endorsement of national roadmaps, integration of RMNCAH+N in budgeting processes, and investment in data and accountability mechanisms, these leaders ensure the sustained prioritization of women’s, children’s, and adolescents’ health.
A Multisectoral and Multilevel Partnership Model
CARMMA Plus is not a standalone campaign—it is a platform for multisectoral collaboration. It brings together a constellation of partners that operate at regional, national, and community levels to translate political commitments into real change. These include:
- AU Member States, which develop and implement country-specific CARMMA Plus action plans integrated into broader health and development strategies.
- Regional Economic Communities (RECs) such as ECOWAS, SADC, EAC, and IGAD, which facilitate cross-border cooperation, policy harmonization, and regional health governance.
- United Nations agencies, including WHO, UNFPA, UNICEF, WFP, UNAIDS, and others, which provide policy and technical guidance, capacity building, innovation, and data systems strengthening.
- Development partners and donors, who support with funding, strategic investments, and technical assistance aligned with national and regional priorities.
- Civil society organizations, youth- and women-led networks, and grassroots movements, who lead community advocacy, service delivery innovations, and accountability efforts.
- Academia, think tanks, and research institutions, who generate critical evidence, provide thought leadership, and promote knowledge exchange.
- Private sector actors, including foundations and corporate partners, who bring innovation, technology, and catalytic investment to scale interventions and improve service delivery.
Coordinated Action for Collective Impact
CARMMA Plus uses a harmonized implementation framework that fosters synergy across stakeholders. Through joint planning, pooled resources, and coordinated advocacy, the campaign strengthens national health systems and empowers local communities to act.
The platform champions inclusive governance, ensuring that adolescents, youth, traditional leaders, and other key constituencies have a seat at the decision-making table. By adopting a lifecourse approach, CARMMA Plus promotes continuity of carefrom pre-pregnancy to childhood and adolescence, while also integrating nutrition, gender equality, education, and social protection dimensions.
The campaign also strengthens data systems, supports national scorecards, and fosters south-south learning to ensure that progress is measurable and sustainable. Leadership is reinforced through accountability mechanisms that track commitments and outcomes at every level.
A Continental Movement for Health Equity
CARMMA Plus represents a shift from fragmented interventions to a cohesive movement for health equity and social justice. It builds on over a decade of momentum under the original CARMMA initiative, scaling up efforts to address both direct and underlying determinants of mortality and malnutrition.
As Africa’s flagship campaign for maternal and child health transformation, CARMMA Plus continues to inspire regional solidarity, national action, and community resilience. It affirms that leadership is not only about policy—it is about partnership, participation, and purpose.
Together, we are building a continent where every woman survives childbirth, every child grows up healthy and nourished, and every adolescent has the opportunity to thrive.