Prime Minister Cameron: Act Now to Stop Maternal Mortality!

Dear Prime Minister,

We are delighted that you are co-chairing the important High-Level Panel on the Post-2015 Development Agenda. We are asking you to take immediate action to stop mothers around the world dying due to a lack of health care.

We, the undersigned, need your urgent support to tackle a silent crisis that affects over 250,000 mothers . Every two minutes, a mother dies during pregnancy or child birth.

But skilled assistance at birth is one of the key factors in reducing maternal and new-born mortality worldwide. With an additional 112,000 midwives in the right places receiving the training and supplies they need, we could save over 3.6 million lives a year- that's 300 lives per midwife.

Tackling this challenge is not only achievable - it is cost-effective. Children represent all of our futures. But they need their mothers to allow them to grow to their full potential, and grow up to help the economy flourish too.

Merlin, the UK's leading international health organisation, is a global leader in delivering medical experts to the toughest places - but they cannot overcome this enormous challenge alone and that's why we call for your urgent support.

As Co-Chair, we ask that you:

- Pick up the pace by setting an ambitious global target to reduce maternal mortality

- Lead the call for other governments to increase their focus on tackling maternal mortality

We know it is possible to end the needless deaths caused by a lack of skilled birth attendants.

For the sake of the every child born motherless, please act now on their behalf.

The undersigned,

[Your name]