Helping mothers and babies survive childbirth is a personal goal, says Melinda French Gates

Several low cost and low tech interventions would increase the chances of mothers and their babies surviving childbirth, according to a new report released Tuesday by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The report tracks progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals set at the United Nations in 2015. Those include changes to the protocol for treating serious bleeding, treating anemia with a fast-working IV drip, and preventing infections with a specific antibiotic. Co-founder and co-chair of the foundation, Melinda French Gates, says she takes personally the deaths of hundreds of thousands of women and babies during child birth each year and believes more people should join the fight for improving maternal health care.