GSF Announces $3M Clinton Global Initiative Commitment for Safer Surgery in Kenya
At the 2025 Clinton Global Initiative, the GSF launched a $3M commitment to improve safe obstetric surgery in Kenya, reaching over 465,000 mothers and newborns across four counties. We invite partners to join us in scaling impact and saving lives.
At the 2025 Clinton Global Initiative, the Global Surgery Foundation (GSF), represented by Dr. John Varallo (second from right), announced a $3 million Commitment to Action to improve obstetric surgical care in Kenya.
A $3 Million Commitment to Safer Births in Kenya
New York, USA – September 25, 2025 — Today, the Global Surgery Foundation (GSF) announced a new Commitment to Action at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) 2025: “Mothers Matter: Obstetric Safe Surgery in Kenya.” This initiative calls on partners to join forces in a $3 million, three-year effort to strengthen safe obstetric surgical services in 20 high-volume facilities across four Kenyan counties, reaching over 465,000 mothers and newborns.
We invite partners and supporters to join us in this journey — because when women thrive, families and communities flourish.
Contact us at: info@globalsurgeryfoundation.org
Why This Matters: The Urgent Need for Safer Caesarean Care
Access the GSF Commitment here: https://www.clintonfoundation.org/commitment/clinton-global-initiative/mothers-matter-obstetric-safe-surgery-in-kenya/
A Commitment to Action is a specific, measurable, time-bound pledge made by organizations at CGI to address urgent global challenges. Since CGI began, over 4,100 such commitments have been made, benefiting more than 500 million people worldwide.
Women in low- and middle-income countries are up to 100 times more likely to die following a caesarean section than those in high-income settings. In Kenya, the maternal mortality ratio of 379 per 100,000 live births is far behind the SDG target of 70. Quality of care, once pregnant women reach a facility, is a significant concern in Kenya, and especially for caesarean section. More than 70% of facility-based maternal deaths are associated with CS, and the lack of quality, standardized clinical care has been identified in 90% of maternal deaths.
Building capacity in safe surgical care within the full continuum of care for mothers is critical to decrease maternal mortality and morbidity. This new commitment aims to change those outcomes by ensuring access to timely, safe and respectful surgical care in four counties in Kenya.
Building on Success: A Scalable, System-Strengthening Model
Building on the successful experience in Makueni County and its current OSS Project in Nakuru county, GSF will expand its unique comprehensive approach, including a team-based hub-and-spoke training and mentorship model, blended with its SURGhub platform, alongside local partners including Jhpiego, AIC Kijabe Hospital, and the Kenya Ministry of Health in three new counties. The program will:
Strengthen technical and non-technical skills of surgical teams including obstetricians, anaesthetists, midwives, and nurses.
Enhance facility readiness and referral systems for obstetric care.
Improve data collection, monitoring, quality improvement, and outcomes tracking.
Engage community health promoters along the continuum of care.
Ambitious Targets, Real Impact
Implementation aims to begin in February 2026 and run through January 2029. Key targets include a 30% reduction in maternal mortality correlated with caean sections and a 50% reduction in post-operative complications in participating facilities.
“With this commitment, we are scaling proven solutions, promoting interprofessional collaboration, and working with partners to ensure mothers and newborns survive and thrive,” said Dr. John Varallo, Team Lead Women’s Health at the GSF.
Dr. Varallo represented the GSF at the CGI 2025 Annual Meeting, where he joined global leaders on the CGI stage and contributed to the Working Group on Transforming Global Maternal Child Health to advance shared strategies for improving outcomes for women and newborns worldwide.
Dr. Geoff Ibbotson, Executive Director of the GSF, added: “This commitment reflects our mission to ensure surgical equity worldwide. By focusing on obstetric safe surgery in Kenya, we are not only saving lives today but also strengthening the entire health system, adding skills and partnerships that will sustain safer childbirth for generations to come.”
About the Global Surgery Foundation
The Global Surgery Foundation is a neutral global platform dedicated to improving surgical systems worldwide. Through partnerships, technical expertise, its catalytic fund SURGfund, and digital tools like SURGhub, GSF works to ensure that safe, affordable, and respectful surgical care is accessible to women, girls, and communities everywhere.
About the Clinton Global Initiative
The Clinton Global Initiative convenes global leaders to address the world’s most pressing challenges. Through its framework, CGI supports organizations in making Commitments to Action — specific, measurable, and time-bound pledges to make progress on global issues.
Access the GSF CGI Commitment
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