US Rep. Betty McCollum visits El Walid School for handicapped children in Ariana, a suburb of Tunisia.

Hello ONE members,

Happy Mother’s Day!

As a mother myself, I understand the importance of making motherhood safe and keeping children alive here at home and around the world. Saving the lives of mothers and children in developing countries must be a top priority for this Congress and the Obama Administration. With 25,000 children dying everyday in poor nations, it is vital we reinvigorate America’s commitment to reducing child mortality and maternal deaths. But to do this effectively, Congress and the administration must develop a robust strategy to reshape our bilateral relationships and redefine our nation’s international assistance investments.

Every year, more than 9 million children under age five die needlessly from preventable or treatable diseases. As many as 6 million of these deaths could be prevented with simple, affordable interventions, including antibiotics, immunizations, bed nets, exclusive breastfeeding, vitamins, good nutrition and clean water.

Every year as least 536,000 women die from pregnancy related causes. Ninety-nine percent of these deaths occur in the developing world.

It is critical for the global community to go further to keep mothers and children in the world’s poorest countries alive and healthy—before, during, and after childbirth.

To renew our country’s leadership through a comprehensive global health strategy, I introduced the Newborn, Child, and Mother Survival Act of 2009 (H.R.1410), along with Congressman Dave Reichert, during International Women’s Day last month. Former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, M.D., who chairs Save the Children’s Survive to 5 Campaign, has endorsed my bill. Advocacy groups, including U.S. Coalition for Child Survival, U.S. Fund for UNICEF and the Global Action for Children, have also coalesced around this policy shift to commit to proven, low-cost, highly effective techniques for life-saving interventions, establish a special task force to reduce child mortality and maternal deaths and authorize funding for appropriate health programs in 60 poor countries.

The fact that millions of children are dying every year because they are being born to poor parents in poor countries is shameful. The fact that thousands of women die needlessly from during pregnancy and childbirth is appalling. These deaths are caused from a lack of political will. Now is the time for America to lead the world and make an investment that will save lives, restore our damaged image in the world, and create hope and opportunity across the planet. Or, Congress and the American people can continue to do what we are doing as the wealthiest, most powerful nation on earth and let more moms and children die.

The choice is ours.

Congresswoman Betty McCollum (MN-4) is co-founder of the e Congressional Global Health Caucus and serves on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on the State Department and Foreign Operations.