The White House is spotlighting racial inequities in maternal healthcare and outcomes as part of a proclamation declaring April 11-17 the nation's first-ever Black Maternal Health Week.
To improve outcomes for Black mothers and their families in the U.S., President Joe Biden said the U.S. must address systemic barriers, diversify the perinatal workforce and improve maternal health data collection, among other efforts.
The U.S. has the highest maternal death rate of all high-income countries, reporting 17 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2018, according to a report from the Commonwealth Fund. The death rate for Black mothers in the U.S. was two times that of white mothers.
In 2018, the infant mortality rate for Black children was also more than two times higher than that of white children — 10.8 per 1,000 live births compared to 4.6 per 1,000, according to the CDC.
"The Biden-Harris administration is committed to addressing these unacceptable disparities, and to building a healthcare system that delivers equity and dignity to Black, Indigenous and other women and girls of color," President Biden said.
To view the full proclamation, click here.