Media Contact: Brendan Daly (202.794.1580)

WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 2, 2015) – Save the Children Action Network (SCAN) today launched a comprehensive paid media campaign in South Carolina that calls attention to American leadership that has helped save millions of children and mothers abroad and asks the next President to strengthen the nation’s commitment to this vital work.

The broadcast television, radio and digital advertising are part of SCAN’s High 5 for Kids efforts in the early presidential caucus and primary states. The campaign in the Palmetto State will engage voters and recruit SCAN activists to ask all presidential candidates what they would do, if elected, to ensure America continues to lead on the critical work of stopping preventable deaths of children and mothers abroad.

“American leadership on this issue is a great success story, and our country has helped save millions of lives in just the past several years,” said Mark Shriver, president of SCAN. “But 17,000 children still die each day from entirely preventable causes like malaria and pneumonia. The next President should work in a bipartisan manner to strengthen our commitment to these life-saving programs. These investments help build a freer, more prosperous world, generate goodwill globally and, most importantly, are the right thing to do.”

The statewide advertising campaign launches today in Charleston, Columbia and Greenville and will last through the end of October.

Each of the ads, recorded last month in Charleston, feature three South Carolina voters and reflect the bipartisan nature of SCAN’s work: a Republican, a Democrat and an independent voter all appear and agree that ending the preventable deaths of newborns, young children and mothers from around the world is an achievable goal and should be a top priority for the next president, no matter who wins.

Worldwide, deaths of children under the age of 5 have been cut in half since 1990. Much of this progress is due to America’s leadership on global health and nutrition programs. Still, 6.3 million children under the age of 5 continue to die each year. Most of these deaths can easily be prevented. Many of the major causes of child death are preventable and treatable: pneumonia, diarrhea and malaria. In addition, 800 women die every day due to complications during pregnancy and childbirth.

Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Chris Coons of Delaware recently introduced the bipartisan Reach Every Mother and Child Act. If enacted, it would scale up the low-cost, high-impact strategies to prevent maternal and child deaths to the countries that need them most.

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Save the Children Action Network is the political voice for kids. We believe that every child deserves the best start in life. That’s why we’re building bipartisan will and voter support to make sure every child in the U.S. has access to high-quality early learning and that no mother or child around the globe dies from a preventable disease or illness. By investing in kids and holding leaders accountable, we are helping kids from birth to age five survive and thrive.