Million Moms Challenge

Sept. 19, 2011— -- Why Moms?

It should be the happiest moment in a mother's life: the moment when she holds her new baby in her arms for the first time. A new life -- full of hope, of love and wonder.

But in some parts of the world, pregnancy and childbirth is a time fraught with worry, and with good reason. The statistics are stunning:

Every 90 seconds, a woman dies during pregnancy or childbirth. Most of those deaths are in the developing world.

1 in 5 women in Africa loses a baby in her lifetime. In richer countries, that number is around 1 in 125.

Almost 8 million children die each year before their 5th birthdays—that's almost 21,000 children each day—from largely preventable causes.

But there is good news: there are easy solutions, and they're not far from reach.

It costs just pennies a day to provide moms and babies with proper nutrition, to train midwives to help during childbirth, to vaccinate children against life-threatening diseases and to use simple, innovative technology to deliver crucial health information to women and health workers in remote areas.

Whether you are a mom or you just love your mom, you can help. It's easy.

Take the Million Moms Challenge!

Join the Movement and sign up to be the first to know about events and opportunities to help moms and babies around the world.

Tell Your Friends about the Million Moms Challenge

Friend the Million Moms Challenge on Facebook

Tweet This: I'm one in a million for healthy moms and babies around the world. Join the #MillionMoms Challenge with me!

Give Your Old Phone a New Life: Donate your old cell phone to HopePhones.

Share Your Stories: You can help a mom just by participating in the Million Moms Challenge. Tell us your story, and help us build a community of caring.

Donate to the Million Moms Fund.

Return to the Million Moms Challenge homepage.