[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 74 (Thursday, April 29, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2358-S2359]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Ms. COLLINS (for herself and Mr. Coons):
  S. 1451. A bill to amend the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to 
implement policies to end preventable maternal, newborn, and child 
deaths globally; to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, today I am pleased to be joined by my 
friend and colleague from Delaware, Senator Chris Coons, to reintroduce 
the Reach Every Mother and Child Act of 2021. Our legislation would 
make it the policy of the United States to lead an effort to end 
preventable deaths of mothers, newborns, and young children in the 
developing world by 2030.
  For years Sen. Coons and I have led efforts to ensure robust funding 
for the U.S. Agency for International Development's maternal and child 
health programing, which have formed the backbone of the U.S. 
commitment to help end preventable child and maternal deaths globally.
  Due in part to American leadership and generosity, many lives have 
already been saved. Nevertheless, far too many mothers, newborns, and 
young children under the age of five continue to succumb to disease and 
malnutrition that could easily be prevented. The impacts of COVID-19 
are exacerbating these gaps and disproportionately affecting the 
world's most vulnerable, undermining decades of progress.
  Nearly 300,000 women die annually from causes related to pregnancy 
and childbirth. In addition, a significant proportion of deaths of 
children under the age of five occur in the first 28 days after birth, 
with newborns accounting for nearly 50 percent of all under-five 
deaths. In 2019, 5.2 million children under the age of five died from 
mainly preventable and treatable diseases.
  Our bill aims to reach these mothers and children with simple, 
proven, cost-effective interventions that we know will help them 
survive. A concentrated effort could end preventable maternal and child 
deaths worldwide by the year 2030, but continued U.S. leadership and 
support from the international community are critical to success.
  To achieve this ambitious goal, our bill would require the 
implementation of a strategy focused on bringing to scale the highest 
impact, evidence-based interventions, with a focus on country and 
community ownership. These interventions would be specific to each 
country's needs and include support for the most vulnerable 
populations. We do not have to guess at what interventions will work--
the reality is that thousands of children die each day of conditions we 
know today how to treat.
  These life-saving interventions include clean birthing practices, 
vaccines, nutritional supplements, hand-washing with soap, and other 
basic needs that remain elusive for far too many women and children in 
developing countries. This must change.
  In addition, our bill proposes the establishment a Maternal and Child 
Survival Coordinator at USAID who would focus on implementing the five-
year strategy and verifying that the most

[[Page S2359]]

effective interventions are being scaled up in target countries. The 
bill would improve government efficiency across several agencies that 
would collaborate with the Coordinator to identify and promote the most 
effective interventions to end preventable maternal and child deaths 
globally.
  To promote transparency and greater accountability, our bill also 
would also require detailed public reporting on progress toward 
implementing the strategy.
  Other bipartisan initiatives, such as the successful President's 
Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, which was started by 
President George W. Bush, demonstrate that results driven interventions 
can turn the tide for global health challenges. Applying lessons 
learned from past initiatives, our bill would provide the focus and the 
tools necessary to accelerate progress toward ending preventable 
maternal and child deaths.
  I urge my colleagues to join Senator Coons and me in supporting this 
legislation that will save the lives of mothers and children around the 
world.
                                 ______