News
February 15, 2010
Obama's Budget Invests in Moms
President Obama's budget request for 2011 includes $700 million in funding for maternal health and $590 million for reproductive health as part of his $9.6 billion global health budget. This vital funding for life-saving programs represents a significant increase over last year's funding. The increases reflect the Administration's pledge to make maternal health a central priority in its global health strategy.
"In the Obama Administration, we are convinced of the value of investing in women and girls, and we understand there is a direct line between a woman’s reproductive health and her ability to lead a productive, fulfilling life. And therefore, we believe investing in the potential of women and girls is the smartest investment we can make. It is connected to every problem on anyone's mind around the world today," said Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Estimates show that the world economy loses $15.5 billion dollars each year because of preventable maternal deaths. A child whose mother died is up to ten times more likely to die within two years. They are less likely to be immunized, less likely to attend school, more likely to be malnourished, more likely to contract HIV and much more likely to be exploited or abused. Despite this evidence, maternal health remains the most underfunded global health priority today.
"Investing in women's lives is an investment in growth, in sustainable development, in human rights, and in future generations. We can't break the cycle of poverty or create stable productive societies without mothers," said maternal health advocate and WHO Ambassador Liya Kebede.
Her foundation, the Liya Kebede Foundation, praised the Adminstration's budget and pledged to do all it could to support the budget requests. "We are asking all of our supports to tell the Congress that investing in mothers' lives is in everyone's best interest," said a Foundation staffer.
The Liya Kebede Foundation is dedicated to supporting maternal and child health worldwide. It recently announced the launch of a national advocacy campaign to support maternal health funding.
Click here to read more about the Liya Kebede Foundation's campaign
Click here to read more about the Administration's budget from the New York Times
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2008
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2007
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2006
Liya on the Oprah Winfrey Show
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