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Acting on the Call Bulletin
Updates on USAID’s Efforts to End Preventable Child and Maternal Deaths
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 Credit: USAID Ghana
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 A Year in Review: Support for Women, Children, and Families
Last year, 2020, was an incredibly challenging year, shaped by a pandemic that upended the lives and well-being of billions across the globe. The COVID-19 pandemic has and continues to disrupt essential care for women, children, and families at home and abroad in unprecedented ways. USAID has worked closely with our partners and programs to adapt: finding new ways to deliver services virtually, analyzing and evaluating the latest global health data, and ensuring that health care providers can continue to provide high-quality, equitable care. We look forward to the hope and optimism that a new year promises. In 2021, we will continue our efforts to support the health, safety, and well-being of women, newborns, and children in our partner countries.
Thank you for your work to champion maternal and child survival!
Kate Crawford
Director, Office of Maternal and Child Health and Nutrition, USAID
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Welcome to the first edition of the Acting on the Call Bulletin, a quarterly newsletter from USAID focused on our work to prevent child and maternal deaths. Subscribe below and get it directly to your inbox!
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Success Stories
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In 2020, USAID worked closely with our partners and programs to continue delivering essential care for mom and baby amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing upon a history of strong partnerships and creative solutions, we also celebrated some successes too, such as the eradication of wild polio in Africa and the 10th anniversary of the Helping Babies Breathe.
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 Credit: Md. Kabirul Abedin, Save the Children
Tayeeba was one of the first newborns saved by the Helping Babies Breathe Global Development Alliance. Her story is just one example of how an innovative approach and a decade of partnership have helped save newborn lives.
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 Credit: Kate Holt, MCSP
In 2020, the Africa region celebrated a historic public health milestone: the eradication of the wild poliovirus. More than two decades of partnership, and countless frontline health workers, contributed to this momentous success.
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 Credit: Asafuzzaman Captain, ACDI/VOCA
Good nutrition is the foundation for a good life, but the COVID-19 pandemic is making it more difficult for families to nourish their children. Drawing upon five decades of experience, USAID is taking action to ensure newborns and young children receive the nutrients they need.
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 Credit: Kate Holt, Jhpiego
Around the world, one of the main pieces of advice to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is the same: Wash your hands! By promoting good water, sanitation, and hygiene practices in health care facilities, USAID supports safe services for frontline workers, families, and communities seeking care.
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Featured Resources
In honor of the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife, our resources in 2020 featured a focus on the central role that nurses and midwives play in improving the quality of care and providing equitable access, even in the midst of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
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Well-trained nurses and midwives are vital to preventing maternal and child deaths, fostering resilient health systems, and ensuring quality health for all.
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Midwives have the potential to save the lives of women and children at a scale unmatched by other health interventions.
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The 2020 report outlines the latest, most up-to-date evidence on and policy options for the global nursing workforce, making a compelling case for investments in nursing education, jobs, and leadership.
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What We’re Reading
Last year was incredibly challenging for the global health community, but several bright spots carried us through (and continue to carry us) as we look ahead. COVID-19 has shown us that resilient systems, adaptive programming, and innovative solutions for health are core to ensuring community well-being—no matter where you live.
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 Credit: Evi Kaban, Corus International
The COVID-19 pandemic has tested the resilience of health systems worldwide, with many countries reporting partial or severe disruptions in essential health services for women, children, and their families.
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 Credit: Kate Holt, Jhpiego
A Gavi-funded global emergency stockpile of Ebola vaccines will soon support countries and frontline health workers in outbreak response. USAID contributions will fund first delivery of doses.
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Engage with Us
Our partners and projects are already hard at work in the new year, working to bring visibility to the health challenges facing mothers, children, and families in communities around the globe. We encourage you to learn more and get involved today.
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 Credit: Jhpiego
Midwives and nurses make up 50% of the global health workforce and deliver a staggering 80% of health care. Submit your photos to illuminate the ways midwives make an impact worldwide.
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 Credit: Karen Kasmauski, Jhpiego
AlignMNH: Collective Action for Maternal Newborn Health builds on decades of work across the MNH community and seeks to complement and amplify existing efforts.
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 Credit: Kate Holt, MCSP
Access the latest news, resources, and information on improving equitable access to quality care for women, children, and their families and communities.
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