The current state of maternal health is highly concerning. The United States spends more on healthcare costs than our global counterparts but continues to perpetuate the worst outcomes for Black, Indigenous, and Latinx pregnant people.
In 2021, the
Findings indicate that nearly 33 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births occurred in 2021 — a 40% increase from 2020. Data from maternal mortality review committees shows that
Furthermore, the increase in maternity care deserts affects approximately 6.9 million pregnant people and roughly 500,000 births. People who live in these counties have limited or no access to:
- maternity care resources
- hospitals
- birth centers
- obstetric providers
To help ensure that we commit to doing our part, Healthline chose advancing maternal health equity as our 2023 social impact initiative.
We know that now is the time to act. During the year, we’ve:
- published articles highlighting maternal health champions like Charles Johnson
- conducted research to determine the top needs of pregnant people and new parents to guide further content development
- engaged with maternal health experts
- given back to organizations identified by Healthline team members
To deepen our long-term impact, Healthline awarded $100,000 in grant funding to Ancient Song, a national birth justice organization working to eliminate maternal and infant mortality and morbidity among Black and Latinx people living in low income households. Our grant is an investment in their expansion of postpartum doula training and services and in support of continuing their national advocacy efforts through programming.
Doulas play a crucial role in supporting and equipping pregnant people and new parents with helpful information to:
- promote and support self-advocacy during their care journey
- assist with addressing challenges…
Read the full article here