MARCH Centre becomes a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre
13 January 2026 London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine https://lshtm.ac.uk/themes/custom/lshtm/images/lshtm-logo-black.png
The MARCH Centre has officially been designated the World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (MNCAH) Metrics and Evaluation.
Appointed by the WHO Regional Director to support the organisation in delivering its international health priorities, this WHO Collaborating Centre will be led by MARCH Centre Co-Directors, Dr Aduragbemi Banke-Thomas and Dr Hannah Blencowe.
This WHO Collaborating Centre’s remit is to support the monitoring and evaluation of MNCAH programmes at global, regional and country levels. This work will help to inform the development of MNCAH policies and guidelines and track progress towards improving MNCAH.
The work will include aspects of health across the life course, from access to family planning services, through tackling avoidable maternal and newborn deaths, to reducing infectious diseases and improving wellbeing of children and adolescents.
The partnership recognises the MARCH Centre’s inter-disciplinary expertise and research excellence in the field of maternal, adolescent, reproductive and child health. With over 600 researchers conducting studies across all continents, the MARCH Centre brings a wealth of knowledge and skills to understand some of the highest burden health challenges facing women, children, and adolescents and identify practical pathways to improve health outcomes.
Dr Aduragbemi Banke-Thomas said: “We are delighted that the MARCH Centre has been designated as a WHO Collaborating Centre, joining four other WHO Collaborating Centres at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.
"Globally, progress to improve maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health has slowed in many aspects. We hope this partnership will drive forward a world where women, children and adolescents not only survive, but thrive across the life course.”
Dr Hannah Blencowe said: “We are extremely proud of this formal partnership. The MARCH Centre is a world-leading hub for research on maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health and we look forward to supporting the WHO and delivering on our commitment to generating and translating research into actionable solutions that make a real-world impact and improve health worldwide.”
If you enjoyed this article and would like to build a career in global health, we offer a range of MSc programmes covering health and data, infectious and tropical diseases, population health, and public health and policy.
Available on campus or online, including flexible study that works around your work and home life, be part of a global community at the UK's no.1 public health university.