Addressing Black Maternal Deaths: Solutions and Action Steps

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), up to 80% of maternal deaths are preventable in the U.S.³ Yet, women in the U.S. continue to die maternal deaths in grave numbers. The CDC defines a maternal death as the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and the site of the pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management, but not from accidental or incidental causes.³  When it comes to maternal mortality, the U.S. ranks highest among all other high income nations in the world according to the Commonwealth Fund.² With this nation’s vast resources, it is incredible that the U.S. continues to rank among mid to low-income countries when it comes to the number of women experiencing maternal mortality.⁴ In 2024, the maternal mortality rate in the U.S. was 17.9 deaths per 100,000 live births overall. However, that rate is significantly higher for Black women in the U.S. at 44.8 deaths per 100,000 live births. Black women die at a rate that is three times greater than White women in this country. The rates for other groups  (i.e., White, Hispanic, Asian) were 14.2, 12.1, and 18.1 per 100, 000 live births subsequently.³

Why is this happening?

A number of things feed the inequity experienced by Black women. An important contributor, if not the most important contributor is racism and bias in the healthcare sector. Black women have reported experiencing racism and bias in the care and treatment that they receive from health care staff and providers. Many report that they are not listened to or are dismissed completely when bringing up concerns. Some report not receiving needed treatments or monitoring due to wrong beliefs about Black women’s tolerance levels. Additionally, a lack of diversity in the healthcare sector helps drive this inequity. Representation matters, and when it comes to a group of people who have distrusted the healthcare sector for good reason, a diverse healthcare staff can help to build trust and encourage women to receive timely care. Lack of accessibility to reproductive healthcare is another driver of inequity. This is driven by underlying  issues that include not having health insurance, the availability of doctors who accept uninsured or publicly insured patients, fewer reproductive care physicians and practitioners, few if any midwives in their areas, few birthing centers, a declining number of hospitals that deliver babies, and even fewer hospitals/clinics in the areas where these women live. Additionally, the care following delivery can be minimal usually consisting of one follow-up visit six weeks after delivery. In other high-income countries with significantly lower maternal mortality rates, multiple post-partum visits and contacts are made by healthcare providers (e.g., midwives, nurses, physicians). This is important as the majority of maternal deaths (two-thirds) occur during the first 12 months following delivery.²

What can be done?

Maternal health care should not be a privilege. Every family deserves the right to grow, live and thrive joyfully. There is much that can be done to achieve this. The healthcare delivery system is one area where thoughtful changes can create meaningful impact in saving the lives of Black women. Creating sustainable, quality medical training pathways (e.g., to nursing, medical school, midwifery and doula programs) to increase the number of people of color in direct care roles is recommended. Additionally, creating reasonable, fair, and safe midwifery regulations to ensure quality standards are adhered to will be beneficial. Directing funding to the creation of birthing centers in areas without birthing facilities in local hospitals will help to lower the risk involved with traveling to distant facilities. Lastly, creating fair, affordable health insurance plans for all people is necessary and will help improve Black women’s accessibility to health care by providing them with an additional tool to help them afford care. Continued advocacy for Black maternal health is required until the lives of Black mamas are no longer threatened by bringing life into the world. This is not unattainable! These deaths are largely preventable. Let’s get to preventing them for all women!

References

1. Declercq E, Zephyrin LC. Maternal mortality in the United States, 2025. The Commonwealth Fund. Updated July 29, 2025. Accessed on April 28, 2026. https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2025/jul/maternal-mortality-united-states-2025
2. Gunja MZ, Gumas ED, Masitha R, Zephyrin LC. Insights into the U.S. maternal mortality crisis: an international comparison. https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2024/jun/insights-us-maternal-mortality-crisis-international-comparison
3. Hoyert DL. Maternal Mortality Rates in the United States 2024. NCHS Health E-Stats. March 2026. Accessed April 28, 2026. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hestat/hestat113.htm
4. Maternal Mortality Rate by Country 2026 . World Population Review. Accessed April 14, 2026. https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/maternal-mortality-rate-by-country