Senate Reintroduces the Reach Every Mother and Child Act

Washington, DC, August 3, 2017 — The Senate reintroduced legislation last night that will help pave the way toward the end of preventable child and maternal deaths around the world. The Reach Every Mother and Child of 2017 (S. 1730) makes sure the U.S. does its part to support countries to reach this ambitious goal.

“The opportunity and the imperative to help end preventable child and maternal deaths can unite us across borders and across party lines,” said Dr. Joanne Carter, Executive Director of RESULTS. “The Reach Every Mother and Child Act — and the leadership of Senators Collins and Coons, who were joined by their colleagues Senators Moran, Shaheen, Rubio, Blumenthal, Enzi, Isakson, Durbin, and Murphy — will move us closer to making this possibility a reality.”

Over the past 25 years, the number of children under the age of five dying annually has fallen dramatically, from 12.6 million in 1990 to 5.9 million today. The evidence now shows it’s possible to bring an end to preventable child deaths by 2035. The Reach Act will enshrine important reforms into law, better positioning our country’s main development agency, USAID, to support countries to save even more lives. It focuses on the highest-impact, evidence-based interventions, including quality prenatal care, management of labor and delivery, lifesaving vaccines, vitamin A supplements, and breastfeeding.

The Reach Act already has a history of broad bipartisan support. In the last Congress, the bill was cosponsored by more than a third of the Senate and a majority of the House of Representatives.

“We are very encouraged that so many members of Congress from across the political spectrum have thrown their support behind the Reach Act, and we are especially grateful to the bill’s leads and original cosponsors for their leadership and persistence.” Carter said. “I urge both the Senate and the House to act quickly to take up and pass this transformational bill. The world can end the needless deaths of millions of women and children if we together decide to make it a priority.”

About RESULTS and RESULTS Educational Fund:

RESULTS supports a movement of passionate, committed everyday people using their voices to influence political decisions that will bring an end to poverty. Volunteers and staff multiply their impact through the enormous power of advocacy.

Our movement of volunteers is backed by a staff of researchers, policy analysts, and legislative and media experts. Our shared goal is the end of poverty. We have affiliates and partners across five continents, and a network of volunteers in all 50 states and worldwide. We’re a non-partisan advocacy group comprised of RESULTS Educational Fund, a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization, and RESULTS, a nonprofit 501(c)4 grassroots lobbying organization.

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