The death of each of these mothers is a human tragedy, but the death of a mother often also means the death of her child. Saving Mothers Saves Children. A baby whose mother dies is up to ten times more likely to die within the first two years than a child with two living parents. Delaying motherhood and avoiding unsafe pregnancies and unsafe abortions can prevent one in four maternal deaths. Improved maternal health and nutrition also prevents the deaths of mothers-and it can save many of the 3 to 4 million babies who die each year in their first month of life.
New treatments offer hope for the future.
But we have the tools to help prevent the infection right now-if we can reach the people. Second, the consortium will be working with NGO partners that are known and trusted. Each of the participating organizations brings special experiences and skills to the overall effort. Under this agreement, the consortium will undertake intensive programs in four to eight countries, serving 10-15 million people. In time, we expect that the involvement of the four PVOs in these model programs will have a ripple effect, strengthening integrated health programs in as many as 150 countries.