2010 Policy Overview

Background

In 2009, the White Ribbon Alliance (WRA) and CARE launched an unprecedented joint campaign for U.S. advocacy on global maternal and newborn health called Mothers Day Every Day. Together, WRA and CARE developed Mothers Day Every Day as a bipartisan campaign to focus lawmakers' attention on what it will take to improve the health of women and newborns who live in extreme poverty.

In its first year, Mothers Day Every Day has marshaled some of the country's most dynamic and experienced voices to raise awareness among policymakers and the media about the remarkable successes and profound need in maternal and newborn health programs. We have solidified political commitments to maternal and newborn health programs and argued for more investment in them. We also have promoted the integration of maternal and newborn health into broader global efforts -- including poverty alleviation, the empowerment of women and girls, the reduction of HIV/AIDS and malaria -- through strategic partnerships in the global health and development arenas. Going forward legislatively, Mothers Day Every Day will ramp up Congressional and Administrative outreach to move specific legislation, while continuing to educate more Members of Congress and the Administration about progress and needs.

Congressional Landscape

Democrats and Republicans have come together to support improving maternal, newborn, and child health. In 2008, more than 20 House Republicans joined with 100 Democrats in cosponsoring a resolution (HR 1022), which supported reducing maternal mortality through financial investment and participation in global initiatives. The measure passed unopposed. A bipartisan group of Senators later cosponsored a companion resolution, which also passed with a clear majority. On several occasions in the past two years, Members of Congress have signed letters to the President and other key officials in advance of global summits like the G8 and G20, urging the Administration to place maternal mortality high on the agenda of international talks.

Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle have engaged with the global and maternal health communities to seek advice about policy and legislative strategy, and together we have built momentum on these issues in stakeholder sessions, congressional briefings, and private meetings. Congresswoman Lois Capps (D-CA) has introduced HR 5268, the Global MOMS Act, the first comprehensive maternal and newborn health legislation in the House. And a similar effort is underway in the Senate, under the leadership of Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT). The Mothers Day Every Day campaign continues to support the advancement of legislation in the House and Senate to ensure a comprehensive approach to maternal health includes access to family planning, skilled birth attendants, emergency obstetric care and postpartum care – approaches central to the reduction of maternal deaths.

In addition to this bill, congressional appropriations are a top priority for Mothers Day Every Day. In 2010, Congress provided $549 million for maternal and child health programs. For FY2011, the President requested $700 million for maternal and child health (and an additional $200 million for nutrition), a 27.5 percent increase over 2010 spending levels. Mothers Day Every Day is working to secure the highest funding level for these critical programs as the 2011 fiscal process moves forward under a tighter-than-usual budget environment.

The Administration's Role

The Obama administration has likewise offered some extremely positive signs about its commitment to maternal health. In May of 2009, Obama announced a six-year, $63 billion, Global Health Initiative and identified maternal and child health – as well as family planning -- among its main focuses. Mothers Day Every Day Advisory Committee member Melanne Verveer was named as the first-ever Ambassador-At-Large for Global Women's Issues at the U.S. Department of State. This unprecedented position ensures that women everywhere have a seat at the table as U.S. global policies are determined.

Achieving Our Goals

Global heath leaders around the world have concluded that an additional U.S. investment of $1.3 billion per year would save the lives of an estimated 250,000 women and babies per year. By investing in women and girls as patients and providers, we invest in the health, education and economic development of their families, communities and nations.

WRA and CARE strongly support robust funding for these programs, and will continue to gather supporters and rally our Advisory Committee to help us advocate for the needed investment in 2010 with both Congress and the Administration.

Download the Mothers Day Every Day 2010 Policy Overview (PDF)