Once Upon a Birth

Have you heard about Merck's Campaign to improve maternal health and save women from dying for giving life - Merck for Mothers?

Their new effort, "Once Upon a Birth," is a campaign to raise awareness about maternal health and help prevent the deaths of some 800 women around the world who die during pregnancy and childbirth every day. Melissa Joan Hart is the spokeswoman for this campaign, and shared her birth story on the Merck for Mother's Facebook page.

For every person who shares their birth story, a monetary donation will be made to Join My Village, which is a charitable initiative that helps women and girls through education, and supports safe pregnancies and deliveries. These deaths are preventable - family planning, access to health care that can recognize preeclampsia, or timely treatment for postpartum hemorrhage!

All you have to do is share your birth story! Or, if you don't want to go through Merck, there are ways to help Join My Village directly. 



This video is our way of highlighting the urgent issue of maternal mortality and demonstrating how we hope to improve the health of women during pregnancy and childbirth.

I think this is a great video, but I disagree with one aspect... I don't think research into more technologies is what is needed to save the lives of these mothers. I think it's access to quality care, reduction in structural violence, improvement in the lives of the poor and the marginalized. Gender equality, improved transportation, food, etc. Health policies that improve the social and ecological factors that keep people in poor health.