Real Talk: A Series of Conversations on Challenging Questions
About the Series:
AlignMNH is introducing a new series, Real Talk, that tackles the challenging questions that keep MNH practitioners up at night through authentic dialogue between experts who don’t always agree. Think podcast-style conversation meets structured debate – no polished presentations, just honest exchanges about the complex realities of maternal and newborn health work.
Previous Events
Real Talk LIVE: Will MNH Survive the Global Health Reform Agenda?
March 25, 2026
LIVE at IMNHC 2026 in Nairobi, Kenya
A collaboration between AlignMNH’s Real Talk series and Amref Health Africa’s Catalyzing Voices platform.
Global health is being reformed, and the implications for maternal and newborn health are profound. As the architecture shifts from vertical, disease-specific programs toward integrated primary health care and country-led priorities, a critical question emerges: Will mothers and babies remain visible, or get lost in the transition?
We explored the uncomfortable truths: MNH indicators are slowing down, with many African countries off-track for 2030 targets. The reform agenda promises African sovereignty and sustainable health systems, but what if governments don’t prioritize MNH in domestic budgets? How do we shift from external programs that substitute for capacity to genuine, African-led systems? And critically, what must the MNH community do now, during the crucial 2026-2030 window, to shape rather than be shaped by reform?
Participants were invited to engage with provocative questions, real tensions, and a vision for 2035 in which MNH didn’t just survive, but thrived within strong, integrated, African-led health systems.
Crystal Clear or Clear as Mud? MNH priorities in 2026 and beyond
January 27, 2026
07:00 AM EST / 2:00 PM EAT
As countries seek to reduce reliance on external funding, conversations about prioritization and efficiency are everywhere but are they actually helping or adding to the confusion? With mounting evidence for many ways to reduce maternal and newborn mortality and stillbirths, countries are under increasing pressure to decide where to spend scarce resources. The concept of “best buys” promises clarity yet often oversimplifies the complex realities of health systems at different stages of development.
This Real Talk explored what really works by grappling with the tensions countries face every day:
- How do we honor evidence-based prioritization while respecting local contexts?
- How do we promote cross-country learning without imposing one-size-fits-all solutions?
- When do “best buys” support better decision-making, and when do they fall short?
Innovations like AI are revolutionizing healthcare, but who should pay for them?
November 18, 2025
07:00 AM EST / 2:00 PM EAT
While breakthrough technologies promise to transform how we save mothers’ and babies’ lives, the harsh reality is that most innovations fail to scale where they’re needed most. In low and middle-income countries, limited resources collide with the high costs of new technologies, creating an innovation graveyard of pilots that never reach the communities they’re designed to serve.
This Real Talk brought together diverse perspectives from innovators, donors, investors, and government representatives to move beyond the hype to address some uncomfortable questions:
- Who bears responsibility for funding innovation?
- How do we break the cycle of dependency on traditional donors
- What new financing models could actually work?
This was an honest, solutions-focused dialogue about forging collaborative partnerships and dynamic approaches to ensure life-saving innovations reach every mother and newborn.
The workforce gap cannot be closed—what now?
Tuesday, 21 October, 2025
07:00 AM EDT / 2:00 PM EAT
We’re running out of people to care for mothers and babies, and the solutions on the table range from revolutionary to downright controversial.
From task-shifting and telemedicine to the emerging role of artificial intelligence, we explored how new approaches are reshaping who provides care, how it’s delivered, and what support practitioners need to make it work.
On our blog, read a recap and key takeaways from the discussion.