WASHINGTON, Oct. 18, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Agency for International Development and Kimberly-Clark Corporation, a global manufacturer of health and hygiene products, announced today that they will work together to improve maternal and child health in the Andean region, starting in Colombia and Ecuador.

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The new partnership will link the U.S. Government's Global Health and Feed the Future initiatives to Kimberly-Clark's existing programs, which already reach thousands of new and expecting mothers in poor communities.  

The Andean region's maternal mortality rate is nearly ten times higher than average in more developed countries and nearly four times higher for children under the age of five. By deploying the company's Plan Hospitales marketing campaign, USAID and Kimberly-Clark expect to build connections with nearly 650,000 low-income women to help ensure healthy pregnancies and births.

"This partnership brings together USAID's health expertise with Kimberly-Clark's marketing know-how," said Mark Feierstein, USAID's Assistant Administrator for Latin America and the Caribbean. "By joining forces, we pool our resources and harness our strengths to improve the health of poor women and babies."  

"We are excited to partner with USAID on this initiative, which aligns our baby and childcare business area with our global sustainability strategy," said Luisa Elorza, Kimberly-Clark's Regional Corporate Social Responsibility Manager.

The announcement was made as part of USAID's Public Private Partnerships Week, which runs from October 17-21, 2011 and celebrates 10 years of partnering with the business community to advance global development.

SOURCE U.S. Agency for International Development

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