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.

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Previous Events

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.

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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.