Prevent Millions of Women and Children Dying in Pregnancy and Childbirth

Millions of women and children can be saved from death in pregnancy or childbirth,
if world leaders, who are about to meet in New York, meet their promises and step
up their aid commitments for maternal health. Let's call on them to act now!

Millions of pregnant women and children die every year because of malnutrition or
inadequate health services. It's shocking, but if our governments meet aid promises
to women and children at the poverty summit later this month, it is avoidable.

Ten years ago world leaders committed to drastically reduce the disgraceful number
of maternal deaths by 2015, but in fact aid levels remain shamefully low. Now, some
governments could be prepared to boost aid for mothers and babies, but they need
massive public support to get all governments to step up.

In days our leaders meet in New York. Let's build a global outcry against needless
deaths. Sign the petition below to double aid for maternal and child health -- it
will be delivered to key government leaders at the New York meeting.

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/save_children_and_mothers/?vl

In the last 10 years, since the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) were set,
significant advances have been made to tackle poverty -- one-third fewer mothers
have died during childbirth due to increased aid and investment in maternal health
care. But millions of pregnant mothers are still dying needlessly and every year 9
million children die before their 5th birthday.

There is already a specific mechanism to deliver aid for HIV/AIDS, Malaria and
Tuberculosis, but no similar system exists to support health for mothers and
children. Experts feel one of the best ways to have an immediate impact is to ensure
that aid is doubled and coordinated to effectively bring health care to the mothers
and children who need it the most.

But with only 5 years left to meet MDG targets, there’s a danger that our leaders
use the recession to shirk responsibilities to help the world’s poorest. It has
always been the world's citizens that have led the fight against poverty and pushed
our leaders to take critical action, and now it is up to us again. Sign the petition
to save mothers and children:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/save_children_and_mothers/?vl

Too often the poorest and most vulnerable communities are just statistics at
international summits. On the eve of this crucial summit, let's join together and
give the poorest women and children a voice. Sign the petition below:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/save_children_and_mothers/?vl

With hope for a fairer world,

Alice, Luis, Alex, Pascal, Maria Paz, Ricken, Ben, Iain, Graziela and the whole
Avaaz team


Sources:
Oxfam, "Minimal G8 Maternal Health Initiative sends disturbing message to women and
girls":
http://www.oxfam.org/en/pressroom/reactions/minimal-g8-maternal-health-initiative-sends-disturbing-message-women

The Countdown to 2015 Initiative tracks coverage levels for health interventions
proven to reduce maternal, newborn and child mortality:
http://www.countdown2015mnch.org/

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