Fixing the US Maternal Health Problem: Signs of Hope?

Fixing the US Maternal Health Problem: Signs of Hope?

 

In the United States (US), nearly 4 million women a year prepare to give birth, looking forward to the joy to come. But for some, the dream turns tragic. About 700 women die each year either during their pregnancy or in the weeks after the birth. And another 60,000 have pregnancy-related or childbirth-related health issues.

Causes of death vary greatly, including hemorrhage during pregnancy or during delivery, heart conditions, and mental health issues such as substance abuse and suicide after the birth.

In 2019, the US maternal death rate was 20.1 per 100,000 women, according to the CDC (Centres of Disease Control and Prevention), significantly higher than the 17.4 per 100,000 recorded in 2018. For Black women, the maternal death rate was more than double the overall 44 per 100,000 in 2019.

“We have to address our horrendous maternal health care system and also need to address the inequities,” says Laurie Zephyrin, MD, vice president for advancing health equity for the Commonwealth Fund, a foundation supporting indepen­dent research on health care issues. “This is an issue that has needed national attention for a long time.”

“If we look overall, our maternal death rate is more than twice that of more than 10 other high-income countries,” she says.

As sobering as the problem is, recent developments have sparked hope that reversing the course is possible. Among them:

– At the first ever White House Maternal Health Day of Action on 7th of December 2021, Vice President Kamala Harris urged a call to action to reduce maternal deaths and pregnancy-related health problems, with extension of postpartum coverage through Medicaid programs, among other actions.

– President Joe Biden’s proposed Build Back Better plan includes maternal health provisions, including $3 billion in new maternal health funding. The money will aim to grow and diversify the workforce caring for pregnant women, coordinate care better, and step up research on maternal health, among other projects.

– Ongoing efforts in Congress are aimed at fixing the wide disparities in maternal health affecting Black women. Regardless of income level or education, Black women are at a higher risk of maternal death and other health issues than are white women. A Black woman with a college education is at 60% higher risk of maternal death than a white or Hispanic woman who didn’t graduate high school, according to the Commonwealth Fund.

Source: Doheny K. Fixing the Maternal Health Problem in the U.S.: Signs of Hope? WebMD. [online]. Available from: https://www.webmd.com/women/news/20211214/fixing-maternal-health-problem-us-what-to-know.

Slovníček

hope – naděje; víra
to look forward to – těšit se na
joy – radost, štěstí, potěšení
to turn – měnit (se), změnit (se)
either – or – buď – (a)nebo
horrendous – úděsný, strašný, příšerný
inequity – nespravedlnost, nespravedlivost
to advance – prosazovat, podporovat; navrhovat; postupovat, dělat pokroky
high-income countries – země s vysokými příjmy
sobering – působící vystřízlivění
to spark – zažehnout; zapalovat; jiskřit
to reverse the course – zvrátit běh, obrátit směr
coverage – pojištění, pojistné krytí; pokrytí
to aim – mířit, cílit, směřovat
to diversify – diverzifikovat, zpestřit, všestranně rozvíjet
workforce – pracovní síla, zaměstnanci
to step up – zvýšit; upevnit
disparity – nerovnost, nepoměr, rozdílnost, disparita
regardless of – bez ohledu na, nehledě na, nezávisle na
to graduate – vystudovat, absolvovat školu

 

 

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