LGT Venture Philanthropy Foundation (LGT VP) is pleased to announce a one-year extension of its partnership with Muso, a non-profit dedicated to eliminating preventable maternal and child deaths in remote, underserved communities.
LGT VP's continued support will provide non-programmatic funding to sustain Muso's operations in Côte d'Ivoire, strengthen institutional capacity, and enhance resource mobilisation efforts. This will enable Muso to deepen its impact and sustain care delivery to those that need it most.
Sub-Saharan Africa continues to face the largest gaps in achieving the SDG 3 target of good health and wellbeing for all. This is driven in large part by delayed access to care and persistent barriers between communities and health systems. Muso addresses these challenges by redesigning how care is delivered: not waiting for patients to seek help but proactively reaching them where they live before conditions become life-threatening.
Muso was founded in 2005 in Bamako, Mali on the conviction that no one should die waiting for health care. Muso deploys Professional Community Healthcare Workers (ProCHWs) who conduct door-to-door home visits to identify and treat sick patients, preferably within 24 hours of symptoms onset. Patients requiring more complex care are evacuated to Muso-reinforced public clinics where point-of-care fees are eliminated.
The results are compelling. A 2024 study published in the Bulletin of the World Health Organisation found that communities where Muso operates achieved a 63% reduction in child mortality. Over the course of the study, child mortality rates fell sharply from 148 deaths to 55 deaths per 1000 live births. These gains occurred despite widespread displacement and the onset of violence one year into the study. This represents the largest, fastest improvement in child survival documented in an active conflict setting, demonstrating that well-designed health systems can deliver measurable impact at scale even in the most challenging circumstances.
LGT VP's healthcare strategy is focused on expanding access to quality, affordable community and primary health services in pursuit of universal health coverage. Muso aligns with this mission, while offering insights on how rapid, community-based care can be embedded within public health systems and scaled through government partnerships. Nava Anvari, Investment Director at LGT Venture Philanthropy, says: "Muso has shown that preventable deaths can be significantly reduced when health systems are designed around proximity, speed and trust. Working closely with national governments, Muso is helping embed these proven approaches into public health systems, amplifying their impact and shaping national community health strategies across the region. We look forward to further deepening our collaboration and scaling to even greater heights."
Dr. Ari Johnson, CEO and co-founder of Muso, adds "We are grateful to continue this journey with LGT VP at a pivotal moment for global health. As funding pressures rise and armed conflict disrupts access to care, rapid health systems are urgently needed. By reaching people early and identifying health threats before they escalate, they can strengthen community resilience and prevent epidemics from becoming pandemics."
Muso is a non-profit organisation that works with government and academic institutions to design and test rapid health care systems that improve outcomes by reaching patients early and that cure delay. Muso delivers care to patients, serves national governments in redesigning community-based health care delivery and conducts rigorous operational research to test strategies for advancing universal health care, maternal health and child survival. For more information, please visit https://www.musohealth.org/.
LGT Venture Philanthropy (LGT VP) is an independent charitable foundation established in 2007 with teams in Switzerland, Sub-Saharan Africa, and India. The Foundation strives to improve the quality of life of people facing disadvantages, contribute to healthy ecosystems, and build resilient, inclusive, and prosperous communities. LGT VP focuses on strengthening the capabilities of locally rooted organizations that deliver effective, scalable solutions across health, education, and the environment, contributing directly to the SDGs. For more information, please visit www.lgtvp.com.
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