Mother’s Day is soon, and you’ve probably got a few phone calls to make. Your mom, your spouse’s mom, a grandmother or two, or maybe even a woman who played a motherly role in your life.
Sadly, thousands of children worldwide won’t have anyone to call.
In 2013, just about 289,000 mothers died from pregnancy or childbirth complications. Ninety-nine percent of those deaths happened in the developing world.
Thankfully, the number of mothers who have died due to complications from pregnancy or childbirth has declined 45 percent from 1990 to 2013. As impressive as that is, we still have a long way to go, especially in countries where conflict, insecurity or extreme poverty grips much of the population. The lifetime risk of maternal death in industrialized countries is 1 in 4,000, versus 1 in 51 in countries classified as "least developed." We cannot claim success when so many countries are being left behind.
President Obama will soon join other World Leaders at this year's G7 Summit in Germany. Many important topics will be discussed; however, there is a real chance that the issue of maternal, newborn and child deaths will be left off the agenda. For the sake of mothers everywhere, we cannot let this happen.
Please write to President Obama at the White House. Tell him to remember mothers around the world this Mother's Day, by including them in the conversation and making a commitment at the G7. The United States has a leading role to play in protecting the lives of mothers everywhere.