The TAConnect senior management team, alongside the Project EMBRACE (Enhancing Maternal and Baby Resilience through Access, Care, and Equity) state team, conducted a high-level engagement with key Borno State government stakeholders from 2nd to 4th February 2026, aimed at ensuring a smooth project launch. Meetings included the State Honourable Commissioner of Health, the Executive Secretary of the Primary Healthcare Board, the Executive Secretary of the Drug Management Agency, and the Senior Special Adviser on Sustainable Development and Humanitarian Services.

Discussions highlighted the objectives, roles, and responsibilities of Project EMBRACE to state and local actors. The overall goal of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ initiative is to reduce maternal and newborn mortality by strengthening health systems to improve and sustain quality health services along the continuum of care at primary and secondary levels.

TAConnect has been actively engaged in Borno State since 2022, beginning with the Gates Foundation-funded Group Antenatal Care program, which later evolved into the current MNH Innovation, implemented in partnership with Pathfinder International. This long-standing presence has enabled TAConnect to build strong relationships with state authorities and health system actors, ensuring continuity, sustainability, and alignment with government priorities.

The engagements established a solid foundation for Project EMBRACE in Borno State, reinforcing partnership, alignment, and shared accountability while setting the stage for the contributions to impactful reductions in maternal and newborn mortality across the state.