Black Women's Maternal Health: A Multifaceted Approach to Addressing Persistent and Dire Health Disparities

Black women and birthing individuals in the United States face pervasive and urgent disparities in maternal health, underlining systemic racism, historical mistreatment, and biases within healthcare systems as primary drivers. Statistics reveal disproportionate rates of maternal mortality, severe morbidity, and preventable deaths among Black mothers, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. To address this crisis, the report advocates for comprehensive, culturally centered care provided by diverse care teams, policy changes to protect reproductive rights and expand access to healthcare, destigmatization and treatment of maternal mental health conditions, and for redistributive policies that address economic disparities.