The following is a sponsored post for Merck.
Picture a mother tucking her child into his or her warm bed and giving them a tender good-night kiss. These special moments with our moms are invaluable, and many of us look to our mother for help, unconditional love, and emotional support.
The bond between a mother and child is one of the strongest human connections in existence.
It is heart-breaking to imagine that each year 365,000 women will never be able to experience that relationship, because each day 1,000 women around the world die during pregnancy or childbirth. To put that into perspective, every 90 seconds one woman loses her life.
This is so alarming because maternal mortality is the oldest and most preventable ongoing medical tragedy on the planet today. It affects every corner of the world. In fact, maternal death rates in the United States doubled between 1990 and 2008 and the nation now ranks 39th in the world. The United Nations recognizes this as a major health priority and is dedicated to reducing maternal deaths drastically.
When a mother dies, her newborn is much less likely to see a second birthday. Her other children are much more likely to die and much less likely to attend school. The effects of her loss can echo for generations. And none of it has to happen; the majority of these deaths are preventable.
Merck, a global healthcare leader, recently launched Merck for Mothers, a 10-year, $500 million initiative to create a world where no woman has to die giving life. Merck is working with experts to bring awareness to this issue, develop new technologies and speed life-saving solutions to women across the globe.
And today, in celebration of mothers everywhere, Merck is happy to make a donation on your behalf. At www.MerckforMothers.com, you can send an e-card to a special woman in your life. For every card sent (up to 25,000 cards), $1.00 will be donated by Merck to Join My Village, a unique charitable initiative working to lift women and girls out of poverty through education and community programs. Thank you for helping to save mothers!
