One thousand women die daily due to pregnancy related causes and the majority of Americans (75%) believe that reducing these deaths should be a priority of President Obama and his Administration, according to a study just released by Americans for UNFPA, conducted by Harris Interactive². Further, over eight in ten agree that lack of adequate healthcare is one of the most serious global issues facing women (82%).

With just five years left to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) aimed at reducing world poverty, President Obama is among the hundreds of world leaders slated to attend a summit convened by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in New York on September 20-22, 2010 to accelerate progress towards the MDGs, including reaching the target of 75% reduction in maternal death by 2015 and achieving universal access to reproductive health. In line with U.S. support, the Administration recently introduced the Global Health Initiative, targeted to reduce maternal and child deaths and treat preventable diseases.

A new UN study released last week³ showed an annual average decrease of 2.3% in maternal death worldwide since 1990. A decrease of 5.5% is needed to meet the worldwide promise by 2015.

Americans for UNFPA is urging the American public to petition the Obama Administration to keep the momentum going and put women’s health at the heart of U.S. global priorities. According to the study conducted by Harris Interactive:

* Nine of out ten Americans believe that every woman on the planet deserves access to quality maternal and reproductive health care (91%).

* Over eight in ten Americans believe that maternal health is an indicator of a functioning health system (83%).

* More than eight in ten Americans say lack of adequate healthcare is one of the most serious global issues facing women (82%).

* Over seven in ten Americans believe that voluntary family planning is key to saving women’s lives (73%).

“The numbers speak for themselves. The American people stand united in the call for universal access to quality maternal healthcare,” says Anika Rahman, President, Americans for UNFPA.