ABC TV launches series to highlight poverty and health
DECEMBER 2010 - ABC News has announced a yearlong project to focus attention on the diseases and health conditions that disproportionately afflict the world's poorest people including women and children’s health. The series, "Be the Change: Save a Life," will kick off in December 2010 and continue throughout 2011. Led by "World News" anchor Diane Sawyer and ABC News Chief Health and Medical Editor Dr. Richard Besser, the series will include reporting from all ABC News anchors across all broadcasts and platforms.
An ABC News website for "Be the Change: Save a Life" will be devoted to gathering stories, offering solutions, and acting as a clearing-house for people who want to know more, get involved, or volunteer. ABC News is supported in the project by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Maternal health featured prominently in the opening of the series on 17 December 2010 where ABC anchor Diane Sawyer compared a maternity ward at a medical center in Brooklyn to one in Afghanistan.