FRANKLIN LAKES, N.J., June 30, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- As a global medical technology company dedicated to its purpose of "Helping all people live healthy lives," BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) (NYSE: BDX), is proud to announce its support for and active participation in two key events aimed at reducing these needless deaths: the 5th Birthday and Beyond Coalition event held last week in Washington D.C., and today's 2014 Partners' Forum in South Africa, chaired by the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (PMNCH), whose Secretariat is hosted by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The Partners' Forum, being held June 30 to July 1, 2014 in Johannesburg, brings together global health, policy, government and business leaders to focus on significant gains made in saving the lives of women, newborns, children and adolescents as well as the urgent need to accelerate progress. BD is proud to support the launch at the summit of the Every Newborn action plan - a roadmap and joint action platform for reducing preventable newborn deaths and stillbirths.

Additionally, the Company served as a voice for the business sector's commitment to helping save the lives of mothers and children at Celebrating America's Global Leadership for Healthy Children, a reception held on Capitol Hill on June 25, 2014, by the 5th Birthday and Beyond Coalition. With an audience that included Members of Congress and past and present administration officials, the event paid tribute to the U.S. leadership and foreign assistance in helping achieve gains in child health and survival while drawing attention to continuing needs.

"BD congratulates the Partners' Forum and the 5th Birthday and Beyond Coalition for their leadership in galvanizing all sectors to ensure that maternal, newborn and child health remains a global priority," said Gary M. Cohen, Executive Vice President, BD. "Ending these preventable deaths will require partnerships, investment and leadership. It is promising to see such strong momentum being created through these forums and the Every Newborn action plan. We value the opportunity to collaborate to save the lives of mothers and children throughout the world. This goal unites us together across the public, NGO and private sectors around a singular, essential purpose."

For its part, BD committed at the forums to leading and engaging in an innovative business model using extensive cross-sector collaboration to develop, clinically test, manufacture and distribute in low-resource settings new innovations designed to address the leading causes of maternal and newborn mortality and morbidity.

The first innovation using this model, presently in clinical studies, is the BD Odon Device(TM), a low-cost device designed to address maternal and newborn deaths associated with prolonged or complicated second stage labor.

BD is actively engaged in global advocacy efforts to address the unmet health needs of mothers, newborns and children, towards the objective of fully achieving Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5, a global effort to reduce child mortality and improve maternal health. In support of these goals, BD leaders work in collaboration with governments, international agencies, nongovernment organizations, funding organizations and foundations. The Company recently participated in the Saving Every Woman, Every Child: Within Arm's Reach Summit hosted by Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper in Toronto on May 28-30, 2014. This forum brought together leaders from every sector to shape the future of child and maternal health collaborations around the world. BD recognizes the importance of all of these events for their impact on sustaining and accelerating progress towards reducing maternal, newborn and child deaths.

About BD
BD is a leading global medical technology company that partners with customers and stakeholders to address many of the world's most pressing and evolving health needs. Our innovative solutions are focused on improving drug delivery, enhancing the diagnosis of infectious diseases and cancers, supporting the management of diabetes and advancing cellular research. We are nearly 30,000 associates in 50 countries who strive to fulfill our purpose of "Helping all people live healthy lives" by advancing the quality, accessibility, safety and affordability of healthcare around the world. For more information, please visit www.bd.com.

CONTACT
Alyssa Zeff, Corporate Communications
+1-201-847-4358 (Office)
+1-917-273-3685 (Cell)
Alyssa_zeff@bd.com

SOURCE BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company)