When you live in a country like the United States, with all of the resources and power that it has, it is very surprising that maternal mortality rates are on the rise. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. has one of the highest maternal mortality rates among developed countries. As of 2021, the maternal mortality rate in the U.S. stands at around 32.9 deaths per 100,000 live births. To put this in perspective, the maternal mortality rate in Canada is 8.7 deaths per 100,000 live births, and in the United Kingdom the rate is 6.5 deaths per 100,000 live births.
This is especially a concerning problem for Black and Indigenous women, who are much more likely to experience complications and even death from giving birth. Black women in the U.S. have a staggeringly high maternal mortality rate at 69.9 deaths per 100,000 live births. We need to take action now to protect all mothers.
There is a bill in Congress right now, called The Preventing Maternal Deaths Reauthorization Act of 2023, waiting to be voted on by the Senate. This bill allows the federal government to give money to states to address inequalities and improve health outcomes of mothers during pregnancy, childbirth, and after birth.
How does giving federal funds to the states help improve these outcomes you may ask? Well, there are committees in the states called the Maternal Mortality Review Committees whose job it is to examine the causes of maternal deaths. When we give these committees better funding, it gives them the resources they need to review and understand maternal deaths more thoroughly. If we don’t know why maternal deaths occurred, then we can’t figure out a way to prevent them in the future.
Another important issue this bill addresses is the racial inequalities that exist in maternal health. By giving more resources and support to the people and areas that need it most, it allows a chance for all women to receive equal and high-quality maternal care. Increased access to care means better outcomes for pregnant women.
Some may say that this kind of funding is “not in the budget” and that the money should go to more urgent priorities. However, better maternal health is linked to better public health outcomes according to the World Health Organization. When mothers receive proper care and support, it reduces healthcare costs, which is better for the economy. Investing in maternal health makes smart economic sense.
Supporting this bill isn’t just about numbers; it’s about lives. Every maternal death impacts families, leaving children without mothers and communities without important members. We must encourage our senators to prioritize maternal health and vote in support of this important bill. I urge to you reach out to the Connecticut senators with a call or online message, to let them know how important this issue is to you as a Connecticut resident and how their vote will impact this community. We can help create a future where every mother is safe and healthy, and every child has the chance to grow up with their mother by their side. Let’s come together and advocate for the health of all mothers in America.
Your Connecticut Senators who will vote on this bill are Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal, at https://www.murphy.senate.gov/contact and https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/contact/write-to-senator-blumenthal, respectively.
Sarah Squillace is a graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania.
