America leads wealthy countries in maternal deaths. Our local data could change that.
Dr. Mary-Ann Etiebet and Sema Sgaier
The recent Biden-Harris Maternal Health Day of Action focused the nations attention on shameful and inexcusable facts about the health and survival of our mothers. Not only is Americas overall maternal mortality rate the highest among wealthy nations, death occurs more than twice as often for Black, American Indian and Alaska Native women.
The day saw dozens of organizations, including ours, make significant commitments to act, but how do we increase the chances that these actions will help reverse decades-long trends of worsening health inequities?
We need to go local hyperlocal. To solve the crisis, we must understand the interplay of local factors contributing to maternal deaths and use that precise knowledge to target local action.
We know that social and environmental factors play a significant role. Black women are 1.6 times more likely than white women, and American Indian and Alaska Native women are 2.6 times more likely, to live in conditions that are not conducive to optimal maternal health.
But what exactly are those conditions, how do they differ across regions and communities, and how important are they for moving the needle?
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2022/01/18/maternal-mortality-crisis-data/9157063002/