Every Partner Counts: (RED) and ONE

Our friends at (RED) and the ONE Campaign hold a special place in our hearts. Not only are they the organizations that have long inspired us to use our voices in the fight against global poverty, long before we focused on maternal health and founded Every Mother Counts, it was through efforts on behalf of these organizations that Erin and I first met. It became quite evident that the fight against poverty was another fight—to treat and prevent HIV. This is one fight that continues to take a toll on women and children especially throughout sub-Saharan Africa. In fact, 76% of all HIV-positive women in the world reside there and in sub-Saharan Africa, and 10.4% of maternal deaths are attributable to HIV. Both (RED) and ONE are deeply committed to eliminating the transmission of the HIV virus from mother to baby by 2015. They are calling for the beginning of the end of AIDS and are on a mission to see the first generation born without the virus. This means treating and testing pregnant women—which can save their children's lives as well as their own so that they can live to care for them. This year, (RED) has kicked off a new spark to the effort called (RED)RUSH to ZERO that goes June 1-10.

2010, Christy traveled to Senegal, Ghana, Mozambique and Kenya with ONE

Gap (RED) ad campaign with son Finn, 2007