The Fund's Maternal and Child Health Programmes supports organisations in the areas of home-based care; the recruitment, training and placement of maternal and child health professionals; and maternal and infant nutrition.
The programme aims to reduce deaths under infants, children and mothers. We spend the programme's money on developing and implementing preventative, nutritional and psychosocial antenatal and postnatal care for mothers and infants
Breast Health Foundation - Flagship programme
This initiative gives women in rural Mpumalanga access to breast cancer screening and related services at Tintswalo Hospital. The project also supports renovations of the chemotherapy and surgery centres, and training of healthcare workers at the hospital.
Safe Travel to School - Flagship programme
Safe Travel to School is a partnership between Discovery and ChildSafe that supports the safe transport of school-going children to and from school every day.
Foundation for Alcohol Related Research
(Northern Cape)
Discovery Fund supports the Foundation for Alcohol Related Research to develop capacity and train people about substance abuse and foetal alcohol spectrum disorders in seven of South Africa's provinces.
Limpopo Maternal Care (LimMCARE)
Discovery Fund supports the University of Limpopo Trust with the #LimpopoBabiesPowerdByBreastmilk 2022 project to increase breasfeeding for the first six months of a baby's life. LimMCARE develops educational material about the importance of exclusive breastfeeding and helps to start breastfeeding early in the labour ward. Their support also includes breastfeeding counselling during antenatal classes at primary healthcare facilities as well as strengthening other antenatal and postnatal services in public institutions in Limpopo.
Philani Maternal, Child Health and Nutrition Trust (Eastern Cape)
Discovery Fund supports a three-year project called the Mentor Mother Programme. The Mentor Mother Programme aims to improve child health and development as well as maternal health and birth outcomes. Its primary target groups are pregnant women and children aged 0-6 years. Mentor mothers who have raised well-nourished, healthy children despite their circumstances become role models for others.
Perinatal Mental Health Project
(Western Cape)
The Perinatal Mental Health Project (PMHP) offers accessible mental health care to woman living in low-resource settings. The project gives comprehensive mental health support that enables people to draw on their resilience and increase their capabilities to address the adversity in their lives. They routinely screen women for symptoms of depression, anxiety, suicidality (risk of suicide) and other common mental discorders. Women are referred for counselling.
Witkoppen Health and Welfare Centre
(Gauteng)
The Witkoppen's Maternal and Child Health programme offered at the Witkoppen Health and Welfare Centre provides gives pregnant women who live in informal settlements antenatal and postnatal care. The programme focuses on maternal health and ensures the wellbeing of mothers and babies during pregnancy and after giving birth.