U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris Wants to Make Black Maternal Health a National Priority

Months after hosting the first federal Maternal Health Day of Action at the White House, Vice President Kamala Harris is once again using her position to push for policy and structural changes aimed at improving health outcomes for parents and infants in the United States, particularly for Black women.

Harris told journalists on Thursday's call during Black Maternal Health Week that in the U.S., they are looking at the fact that more women are facing death because of childbirth than in any other developed nation. Harris added that they are looking at the likelihood that Black women are three times more likely to die in connection with childbirth, Native women are twice likely, and rural women are one and a half times more likely to die.

According to NBC News, Black Maternal Health Week is an education and advocacy campaign observed every April. It was founded and led by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance. The White House officially recognized the designated week last year, with President Joe Biden proclaiming it this year.

Maternal health issues should be a national priority

Then-Senator Harris introduced the first congressional resolution recognizing Black Maternal Health Week back in 2018, along with Rep. Alma Adams, D-N.C. Adams then co-founded the Black Maternal Health Caucus in 2019 with Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Ill., a nurse who recently said the maternal health issue should be treated as a national priority.

Underwood said that the maternal health crisis demands urgent attention and serious action to save lives and advance birth equity across the United States. The co-chairs of the caucus and Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., introduced companion resolutions in Congress this week in recognition of Black Maternal Health Week.

The lawmakers issued a joint statement, saying the goal of the resolution is to "bring national attention to the maternal health crisis in the United States and the urgent importance of reducing maternal mortality and morbidity among Black women and birthing persons."

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The maternal mortality rate for Black women increased during pandemic

The resolution underscores the disproportionate health complications that Black women experience during their pregnancies. This demographic is three times more likely to face maternal morbidities than their white counterparts, regardless of income. The lawmakers attributed this to "structural racism and gender oppression in maternal health care experiences."

The COVID-19 pandemic has further compounded these inequities to make matters worse for Black women. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveals that the maternal mortality rate for Black women has increased by 26 percent since the pandemic started.

The caucus in 2020 introduced the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act to address these challenges. The Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act is a package of 12 bills created to comprehensively tackle existing gaps in policy solutions to the maternal health crisis.

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