Is it is possible to reach zero - zero young lives lost to preventable causes like pneumonia, diarrhea, malnutrition and infection?
Is this an impossible dream? No! We have seen what can be accomplished when both the White House and Capitol Hill work together to help poor countries. Recent Presidential Initiatives on HIV/AIDS and Malaria succeeded in mobilizing leadership, action and resources to make amazing progress in addressing those diseases.
But fighting those diseases is not enough. Though many child lives have been saved, too many countries - particularly in Africa - have shown little or no improvement over the past 10 years.
We want the President of the United States to take a stand for the world's children. The Presidential Initiative to Accelerate Child Survival would focus on doing what it takes to cut newborn, child and maternal mortality. We won't "get to zero" if we continue business as usual. We need to step things up. And we need President Obama to take the lead!