Preventing Child & Maternal Deaths: A Focus on Sustaining Lifesaving Health Services Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic
Acting on the Call—the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)’s response to the 2012 global Call to Action— lays out a bold agenda to save the lives of women and children. Since 2014, this flagship report has served as a roadmap for accelerating progress against one of the Agency’s top global health priorities: preventing maternal and child deaths. Each year the report highlights how far the global health community has come in accelerating access to essential health care for mothers, newborns, and children in 25 countries where they are most vulnerable.
This year’s report illuminates how sustained commitment, financial investment, and technical leadership from the United States has continued critical, lifesaving health services for women, children, and families throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite challenges, USAID and our partners helped countries restore critical routine immunization services to protect children from deadly diseases; prevented disruptions to supply chains to ensure timely supply of quality family planning commodities; and improved infection prevention practices at health facilities to safeguard the health workforce and dispel fears in the community regarding seeking timely care.
The United States remains deeply committed to ensuring all women and children have the same chance of a healthy life, regardless of where they live. During this current crisis and beyond, USAID will always work to protect the dignity, health, and well-being of communities around the world.
