This year, it is estimated that 365,000 women will die from complications of pregnancy and childbirth. A great many of these deaths are preventable. For every woman who dies, 20 others suffer injury, infection or disability. This toll is heartbreaking and unacceptable.
Women who die during pregnancy is a horrible human tragedy that can unravel families and communities. The death of a mother not only jeopardizes the lives of a surviving newborn and any other young children, but it also makes it harder for her family to obtain life’s necessities and escape the crush of poverty. This burden falls most heavily on the developing world, with the vast majority of mothers dying in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
However, certain communities in the United States and other developed nations are suffering as well. In the United States, maternal mortality rates doubled between 1990 and 2008 and the nation now ranks 39th in the world. This dramatic shift in the wrong direction illustrates the continued disparities in healthcare access for too many at-risk mothers.
To address these maternal health issues, Merck recently launched the “Merck for Mothers” initiative. “Merck for Mothers” is a long-term effort with global health partners to create a world where no woman has to die from complications of pregnancy and childbirth. The launch includes a 10-year, half-billion-dollar initiative that applies Merck’s scientific and business expertise to making proven solutions more widely available, developing new game-changing technologies and improving public awareness, policy efforts and private sector engagement for maternal mortality.
On Sept. 20, 2011, Merck President and CEO Ken Frazier announced Merck’s 10-year commitment to creating a world where no woman has to die giving life. “We are joining the fight to save women who risk their lives giving birth and making it part of Merck’s mission,” said Merck President and CEO Ken Frazier. “’Merck for Mothers’ will help us make a difference in the lives of more people in more parts of the world.”
“By helping to address one of the world’s oldest and most preventable global health tragedies, we believe ‘Merck for Mothers’ will have an important impact on society. We also believe it will provide valuable learnings to our business. We are in this fight for the long term,” he added. Mr. Frazier credited Merck Chairman Richard T. Clark with having a vital role in driving the development of the initiative. “Because of Dick Clark’s leadership and vision, Merck now has a new way to deliver on the company’s mission of saving and improving lives,” he noted. “Dick’s passion for creating ‘Merck for Mothers’ is consistent with the focus he has had on corporate responsibility throughout his five years as CEO.”
Background
Governments, multilateral organizations and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have been expanding efforts and momentum is building, but more help is needed — especially from the private sector. There is no “magic bullet” when so many women lack access to basic medical care, but dozens of life-saving technologies are potentially available to address this global catastrophe. More than half of all deaths during pregnancy and childbirth are from post-partum hemorrhage (35 percent of all deaths) and preeclampsia (18 percent of all deaths). Many of these deaths can be avoided when women in need have access to quality prevention, diagnostic, and treatment services.
In 2000, the United Nations agreed to work toward eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Goal 5 focuses on improving maternal health in two ways: MDG 5a calls for reducing maternal deaths by three quarters and MDG 5b calls for universal access to reproductive health — including pre-natal care and family planning.
In Sept. 2010, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon launched the Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health, which catalyzed $40 billion worth of new action on maternal and child health from diverse stakeholders. While some countries are making progress, many are falling behind. The world is not on track to achieve the goals outlined in MDG 5a or MDG 5b.
“Merck for Mothers”
Merck’s new initiative is grounded in intense listening and learning and in transparent collaboration with healthcare workers and experts on the front lines. Based on input from more than 150 experts in the field, Merck developed a strategic framework identifying where the company will focus its people and resources. The initiative will focus on the two leading causes of maternal mortality (post-partum hemorrhage and preeclampsia) as well as family planning, which is known to play an important role in reducing maternal mortality.
The initiative will be guided with input from both an internal steering committee and an external advisory board. Merck will use an independent organization to monitor and evaluate its efforts. Consequently, there are three main approaches for this long-term initiative.
Accelerating Access to Proven Solutions: Merck intends to improve the quality and supply of diagnostic, prevention and treatment interventions for post-partum hemorrhage and preeclampsia. In addition, Merck will strengthen medical education for skilled birth attendants, help develop sustainable models for healthcare delivery, and expand access to family planning.
Product Innovation: Merck will collaborate with partners to develop game-changing maternal health technologies for widespread use in resource-poor settings. Merck will start with an assessment of more than 30 promising existing technologies in partnership with leading donors, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and researchers, with a goal of developing at least three innovations that address post-partum hemorrhage, preeclampsia and family planning.
Global Awareness and Advocacy: Merck will join leading maternal health experts to create greater public awareness of the need to reduce maternal deaths in an effort to improve global and national policy. As part of “Merck for Mothers”, Merck is the first among companies to join the UN Global Compact/UN Foundation’s Private Sector Task Force for Every Woman Every Child.
“Merck is breaking new ground for women and their families. This commitment is extraordinary in its volume, its scope and its vision for the long haul. More than half of all deaths during pregnancy and childbirth result either from excessive bleeding, or from complications related to high blood pressure, as well as from a lack of access to family planning,” said Dr. Carole Presern, a midwife, and Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH) Director. “While there are many proven solutions, there is no silver bullet for maternal mortality. Faster progress requires access to known solutions that can be implemented at scale; new products that can leap frog over the challenges we face today; and a relentless drive on global advocacy to reduce maternal deaths.”
On March 26, 2012, Merck announced that it was partnering with the U.S. Government and leading global health advocates to reduce the number of women who die during pregnancy and childbirth. Saving Mothers, Giving Life – a collaboration among Merck for Mothers, the U.S. Government, the Government of Norway, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), and Every Mother Counts – aims to reduce maternal mortality in several selected regions in Africa where maternal mortality is high, and identify ways to replicate success. Merck’s contribution to the partnership, which will span five years, is valued at more than $50 million.
Merck for Mothers will help guide the strategic direction of Saving Mothers, Giving Life, contribute to on-the-ground program implementation and evaluation, and provide management, leadership, and support for the partnership. Coordinating the partnership on behalf of the U.S. Government is the Office of the Global Health Initiative at the U.S. Department of State.