Your expertise and privilege is needed to change the narrative.
You navigate systems-level barriers every day to do your best to provide optimal maternity health care every day. Your voice and energy is needed to advance transformational change. And this change is needed urgently. The United States has one of the highest rates of maternal mortality and morbidity among high wealth countries. Black women have 3 to 6 times higher risk of dying than White women – the risk varies by where they live.
There have been many calls for action – from the National Birth Equity Collaborative, the Black Mamas Matter Association, and the Black Maternal Health Caucus to the Surgeon General who issued a call to action for maternal health in December 2020, which includes strategies and actions to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity.
Issues for urgent attention include respectful care, anti-racist care, quality care, language justice, paid family leave, paid sick leave, access to health / behavioral health care (e.g. Medicaid expansion), workplace accommodations, and coverage for a health care team that includes doula support, lactation support, physical therapy, and other services. Further, clean water, safe housing, affordable quality child care, nutrition programs, and economic supports in your community and state are foundational for health.
Our team is leading an NC Maternal Health Innovation project. Learn about our work and partners here.
Professional organization advocacy pages:
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
- Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses
- American College of Nurse-Midwives
- Maternal Health Learning and Innovation Center
Leading advocacy groups:
- MomsRising
- Black Mamas Matter Alliance
- White Coats for Black Lives
- National Birth Equity Collaborative
- The Shades of Blue Project
Learn from them. Support them and their work.
