Acting on the Call—the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)’s response to the 2012 global Call to Action— lays out a bold agenda to save the lives of women and children. Since 2014, this flagship report has served as a roadmap for accelerating progress against one of the Agency’s top global health priorities: preventing maternal and child deaths. This year’s report highlights how far the global health community has come in accelerating access to essential health care for mothers, newborns, and children in 25 countries where they are most vulnerable.

In honor of the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife, USAID has dedicated this year’s report to recognizing the heroic efforts of nurses, midwives, and other health care providers on the frontlines. Nurses and midwives have an invaluable role to play in improving access to, and quality of, maternal and child health care, in turn reducing maternal, newborn, and child mortality. During the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses and midwives are playing a critical role in the outbreak response in addition to maintaining essential health care.

The United States remains deeply committed to ensuring all women and children have the same chance of a healthy life, regardless of where they live.