By: Madeline Morcelle and Amy Chen
Executive Summary
According to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, from 2017–2019, roughly 84 percent of pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S. were preventable. Black and Indigenous women and birthing people continue to die at exponentially higher rates than their white counterparts. Equitable, whole-of-government, and systemic solutions are urgently needed.
On June 24, 2022—the same day that the Supreme Court issued its decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization—the Biden-Harris Administration (Administration) published its White House Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis (Blueprint). On the whole, the Blueprint operates as a comprehensive guide to the Administration’s prior and forthcoming actions to address the U.S. maternal health crisis. It is a valuable tool for health advocates who wish to understand the Administration’s maternal health policy strategy. In this issue brief, NHeLP offers some major takeaways.
