In the Maternal Health Initiative's new series, CODE BLUE, the Wilson Center and Emd Serono, a business of Merck, KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, are partnering to bring to light and investigate the alarming statistics behind non-communicable diseases and how NCDs directly (and indirectly) impact women’s lives, particularly during their reproductive years. The CODE BLUE fact sheet provides a snapshot of seven NCDs most threatening to maternal health both in the United States and around the world: cardiovascular disease; diabetes; hypertension; thyroid disease; cancer; multiple sclerosis; and mental health.