Msmagazine iconMsmagazineSep 20, 2026 ~1 min source read

Public Health Begins With Listening: Lessons From Zambia and Malawi on Reducing Maternal Mortality

In the Zambian districts where it operated, the five-year Saving Mothers, Giving Life initiative helped reduce the maternal mortality ratio by 41 percent. Holmes, recently named dean of the University of Michigan School of Public Health, spent four years leading the Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia.

Public Health Begins With Listening: Lessons From Zambia and Malawi on Reducing Maternal Mortality

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In the Zambian districts where it operated, the five-year Saving Mothers, Giving Life initiative helped reduce the maternal mortality ratio by 41 percent.

Holmes, recently named dean of the University of Michigan School of Public Health, spent four years leading the Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia.

He credits women mentors, collaborators and successors with shaping his approach to maternal care, HIV prevention and sustainable public health systems.

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In the Zambian districts where it operated, the five-year Saving Mothers, Giving Life initiative helped reduce the maternal mortality ratio by 41 percent. Holmes, recently named dean of the University of Michigan School of Public Health, spent four years leading the Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia. He credits women mentors, collaborators and successors with shaping his approach to maternal care, HIV prevention and sustainable public health systems.

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  • Effective public health requires local leadership, long-term investment and the voices of those most affected at the table.

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