Meet Mwayuma and Nadya. When Nadya was born underweight in Tanzania, her mom, Mwayuma, was taught Kangaroo Care, a practice where a baby is placed skin to skin with her mother to help her grow. Mwayuma also learned about the importance of exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months.
Low-cost, high impact solutions saved Nadya's life. Unfortunately, 5.6 million children each year aren't so lucky. They die from preventable causes like pneumonia, diarrhea and malaria.
Legislation introduced in Congress – the Reach Every Mother and Child Act (S. 1730 | H.R. 4022) – would scale up effective health and nutrition programs, like Nadya received, to help more moms and kids survive and thrive.
Urge your members of Congress to cosponsor the Reach Act today.
Subject: Cosponsor the Reach Every Mother and Child Act (S. 1730 | H.R. 4022)
Dear [Congress person],
I believe all kids deserve a strong start in life. That is why I urge you to cosponsor the bipartisan Reach Every Mother and Child Act (S. 1730 | H.R. 4022). This bill was introduced in the Senate by Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Chris Coons (D-DE), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Mike Enzi (R-WY), Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT). In the House of Representatives the bill by Representatives David Reichert (R-WA), Betty McCollum (D-MN), Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Dan Donovan (R-NY).
Since 1990, thanks to U.S. leadership, the number of children dying under the age of 5 has dropped by more than 50%. That is a great success story! Unfortunately, every day, 15,000 children die of preventable causes, like pneumonia, diarrhea, and malaria.
We know what works to save lives. And, the Reach Act would dramatically accelerate the reduction of preventable maternal, newborn, and child deaths worldwide. It would help to achieve the global commitment of ending these deaths within a generation.
Modeling other successful global health initiatives, like PEPFAR and the President's Malaria Initiative, the Reach Act would require ambitious targets, a strategy to achieve those targets, and rigorous transparency and accountability measures to keep the U.S. on track in meeting these targets. And because the U.S. cannot end these tragic and preventable deaths alone, the Reach Act would introduce innovative financing tools to bring new investors to the table and improve the stewardship of taxpayer dollars.
[Your comments here]
I hope you will cosponsor the bipartisan Reach Every Mother and Child Act.
I look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
