African Church leaders remind governments that good health care is essential to save mothers.

African evangelical leaders have written to the African Union Chairperson, President Thomas Boni Yay from Benin, urging him to promote maternal health care as an urgent priority at the upcoming AU meeting in Ethiopia.

They remind President Boni Yay that ten years ago, African Union governments committed to allocating at least 15% of their total annual budgets to the health sector. "We acknowledge the progress made towards that target but the African Union Commission reports that six AU member states have met the 15% benchmark — Rwanda (18.8%), Botswana (17.8%), Niger (17.8%), Malawi (17.1%), Zambia (16.4%), and Burkina Faso (15.8%)."

The 54 nations of the African Union meet in Ethiopia this month.

Several Micah Challenge campaigns in Africa have a focus on maternal health, trying to reduce the high rates of mortality in many places.

Pray that this letter and other political actions on maternal health will have a huge impact.

Read the letter.

Read about the creative maternal health campaigns in Benin and Zimbabwe.