Child and maternal health

Hundreds of thousands of women around the world die every year due to complications from pregnancy and childbirth, with most of these deaths preventable. While the under-5 mortality rate is falling, there are still approximately 5 million under-5 deaths per year, most also preventable. One of the most successful health interventions for children is immunization, which continues to fall short of global coverage for many diseases. Approximately 20 million children, for example, do not receive critical vaccines for the potentially fatal diseases of diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis every year. Corporations can help improve child and maternal health in several ways, including through the health benefits they offer to working mothers and families; drug development, access, and donations (for pharmaceutical companies); and charitable giving to global health initiatives