This year presents a historic opportunity for us to create lasting change for generations to come. 2015 marks the deadline to reach the Millennium Development Goals set in 2000 and an opportunity to create a new set of sustainable development goals for the next 15 years. Together, we can create a clear pathway to a better future for all people and our planet. 

This is a key moment. For the first time, we can envision a future in which no child or mother will die from preventable causes. We can foresee a future where every child has nutritious food and clean water. As world leaders prepare this new global agreement, we need President Obama to make maternal and child survival and other critical issues central to the new sustainable development goals.