In the developing regions of the world, only half of women receive adequate health care. Globally, women of all ages face gender-based inequalities, exclusions, discrimination and violence when it comes to accessing health care. Every two minutes a woman dies during pregnancy and childbirth — or more than 800 women a day. Most of these deaths would be preventable if the women had access to quality maternal health care before, during and after childbirth.

Merck for Mothers, a $500-million, 10-year initiative that Merck CEO Kenneth Frazier launched in 2011, is working to reduce mortality rates among women, especially maternal mortality. It is also leveraging public and private partnerships to streamline supply chains for life-saving medicines and health commodities.…