H.M. Queen Rania Al Abdullah,Wendi Murdoch, and Indra Nooyi: Maternal mortality needs to be at the top of every world leader’s agenda

With the eyes of the world on New York for the 64th General Assembly of the United Nations, we welcomed more than 300 of the world’s most influential women for dinner on Wednesday night. The topic of conversation was an issue that needs to be at the top of every world leader’s agenda – maternal mortality.

Each year, more than a half million women lose their lives from complications arising before, during, or after childbirth. Almost all of these deaths occur in the developing world, and almost all of them are preventable.

Behind these statistics are the stories of promising lives cut short and of the motherless children left behind. For the women who joined us last night and for all others around the globe, maternal mortality is not just an abstract issue. It’s a personal one. And in the stories that follow, we would like to share our personal perspectives.