The institute was founded in 2009 under the aegis of Green Templeton College, University of Oxford.

OMPHI works alongside the Nuffield Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, bringing together studies affecting maternal and perinatal health on a global scale. These include studies on fetal growth and nutrition and the effects of malaria in pregnancy; initiatives aimed at developing e-learning programmes in developing countries, and surveys of healthcare providers in resource-poor settings to identify barriers to implementing effective interventions in pregnancy.