As we celebrate Mother’s Day and honor the women in our lives who care so deeply and sacrifice for their children, it often comes to mind the difficulties those in our inner cities must confront, often alone and with little resources or support.

In the most impoverished countries of the world, the challenges mothers face are quite different but oftentimes more dire when trying to protect their children from the illnesses and diseases rampant in their countries. These women and their families are often fighting diseases no longer thought of in the United States — malaria, tuberculosis, and infectious diseases that especially affect children, as well as passing HIV to children.