Nationwide, Black women die from pregnancy-related complications at a rate three times higher compared to white women, regardless of income level and education.
The Black maternal health crisis is one that not even Olympic track stars can outrun. Three gold medalists from the U.S. Olympic 4×100 relay team – Allyson Felix, Tianna Madison, and Tori Bowie – faced serious complications during pregnancy. Tori Bowie died before she could give birth. This crisis also impacts Black babies, who die at three times the rate of white babies, during their initial hospital stays.
At age 36, Dr. Shalon Irving was thrilled to find out she was going to be a first-time mom. As an epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), she was passionate about her work to advance health equity. Three weeks after giving birth, Shalon died of complications from high blood pressure.
Even if you are an expert in our health care system like Shalon or have the strength of a world-class athlete like Tori – if you are a Black woman in America, pregnancy too often carries extra risks, regardless of socioeconomic status or access to healthcare. The Black maternal crisis is related to the distrust experienced overtime by Black women and paradoxical combination of hypervisibility and invisibility, experienced by some of the most accomplished women, like Shalon and Tori.
During Black History Month, we at the Department of Health and Human Services, the federal agency tasked with promoting the care and well-being of Americans, are reaffirming our commitment to tackling and eliminating some of our country’s most troubling disparities in health outcomes.
Since Day One, the Biden-Harris Administration has been following through on our promises to moms and families across the country, by making investments in community-tailored programs that work. In 2022, the Administration rolled out a first-of-its-kind Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis.
Here at HHS, we’re taking action to connect mothers with a culturally competent continuum of care. We’ve sat down for conversations with hundreds of stakeholders to inform our investments in evidence-based models proven to significantly reduce maternal mortality.
We learned of two programs, Commonsense Childbirth in Florida serving 1,200 patients and Mamatoto Village in Washington DC serving 2,000 patients, reduced their maternal mortality rates to zero. Our work ahead is to scale up models like these, until they reach every woman who can benefit from them.
We are taking action across the country with the Maternal Outcomes Matter Shower (M.O.M.S), a community baby shower for new and expectant parents to be connected to perinatal resources. We hosted successful M.O.M.S Tour in Houston and Dallas attended in Fall 2023. The state has also received nearly $4.5 million in funding from Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) for the Integrated Maternal Health Award, Maternal Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Program, and the Minority Serving Institutions Research Collaborative – including the University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley, the University of Texas at Arlington, Texas Southern University, and Texas A&M System Health Science Center.
HHS is also teaming up with local faith-based and community organizations to help connect more Black moms-to-be with high quality resources and services, including mental health support, healthcare coverage, doula access, vaccinations and more.
Last month, during a series of visits related to reproductive health care, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra visited Lincoln University, a Historically Black College and University (HBCU), and spoke with students interested in developing a doula program.
Women with doula care have a 22% lower risk of preterm birth. Evidence like this has driven historic HHS funding to make community-based doulas more accessible.
HHS has taken action to increase access to rural maternal care, strength local health workforces to look like the communities they serve, promote timely treatment and quality care through the Hear Her® campaign, and launch HRSA’s Maternal Mental Health Hotline, which can be reached at 1-833-TLC-MAMA.
And, thanks to CDC funding, we’ve created Perinatal Quality Collaboratives to implement state-wide, equity-focused quality improvements when it comes to care outcomes for women and infants.
HHS is also strengthening our public health infrastructure through CDC support for state Maternal Mortality Review Committees. These Committees aim to help us better understand the drivers of maternal mortality and will develop recommendations to prevent future deaths.
Secretary Xavier Becerra has made it one of his top priorities to ensure that equity is at the core of every rollout, investment, and policy conversation at the Department – not just during Black History Month, but 365 days a year.
It’s unacceptable for Black women to receive lesser quality healthcare. We can do better. We must all channel their leadership and strength as we take on this fight to call out and eliminate inequities.
Julia Lothrop is the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Acting Regional Director for Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, and 68 Federally Qualified Tribes. She has worked with the regional office for over 20 years.
