“Tackling this crisis begins with understanding how institutional racism drives these high maternal mortality rates…let us join in common cause to end the tragedy of maternal mortality once and for all.” — President Joe Biden
AMWA applauds the recent proclamation by President Biden in declaring April 11-17, 2023 Black Maternal Health Week – now the 3rd annual proclamation by the President and the 6th year that a week-long campaign founded by Black Mamas Matter Alliance will raise awareness and advocate of the importance in addressing black maternal health.
The week is held during National Minority Health Month and kicks off with April 11th as International Day for Maternal Health and Rights.
The U.S. continues to lag behind other developed countries with regards to maternal mortality. Yet more than 80% of pregnancy related deaths are preventable. The racial disparities can no longer be ignored: Black women in our country are nearly three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women. There is growing awareness of the impact of structural racism, implicit bias, and ongoing healthcare disparities that drives these statistics.
We appreciate the efforts of this administration to date – a Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis, Vice President Kamala Harris’ call to action to address disparities in maternal care, the American Rescue Plan which gave States the option to expand postpartum Medicaid coverage to one full year, efforts to expand and diversify the maternal health workforce, and steps to improve access to quality care (“Birthing Friendly” hospital designations by the Department of Health and Human Services and a 24/7 Maternal Mental Health Hotline).
Since its founding in 1915, AMWA has been an advocate for maternal health. Our first advocacy effort was to lobby for the passage of the Sheppard-Towner Act of 1921. Our more recent work focuses on maternal mental health through our participation with Mind the Gap, a national initiative led by Postpartum International. We were advocates of various Momnibus bills, the American Rescue Plan, and other legislative bills affecting maternal health. Through our Anti-racism Committee and Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Council, we are raising awareness of racism within healthcare, and through our partnership with Diversity Science, we ensure that every AMWA member has access to evidence-based training on implicit bias.
Join AMWA to raise awareness during Black Maternal Health Week and share with us how you would like to get involved.
