Robin Lim, a Filipino-American midwife, received the honour at a star-studded event in Los Angeles on Sunday (11 December).
When receiving the award, she made a tearful speech about the number of women who die in childbirth around the globe.
‘Today on our Earth, 981 mothers in the prime of their life will die, and tomorrow again and yesterday,’ she said.
‘And I'm asking you to help change that. We don't even know how many babies are lost, but all of us can help change that.’
CNN Heroes is a campaign that ‘shines a spotlight on individuals who go to extraordinary lengths to serve others’.
The campaign is believed to have received more than 10,000 submissions from over 100 countries this year.
Robin’s non-profit Bumi Sehat Foundation will be awarded grants totalling $300,000 for taking the title.
As reported in
Midwives, Robin, 54, has eight children and has dedicated her life to preventing neonatal and maternal deaths in Indonesia, after a year in which three people very close to her died, including her pregnant sister and the baby.
She set-up two centres in Indonesia at which anyone can give birth for free or a small voluntary donation.
Average families in Indonesia earn only $8 a day, while giving birth in a hospital can cost $70 to $700, and it is common for women to be forced to leave their babies in the hospital until they are able to pay the bill.
As well as providing free prenatal and birthing care to women in need, the centres offer 24-hour care and general medical aid.
Robin received the award from CNN’s anchor and American TV personality Anderson Cooper.
The ceremony was attended by stars including: comedian Jerry Seinfeld, actress and singer Miley Cyrus and musician Kid Rock.
For more information on Robin’s work, please visit her
website.
