Dozens of maternal health organizations and advocates are pressuring the California surgeon general to stop the rollout of a plan aimed at reducing maternal mortality, The Los Angeles Times reported Oct. 29.
The California Maternal Health Blueprint was unveiled in September. It set a goal to have at least 50% of "reproductive age individuals" complete a state questionnaire on their risk of pregnancy complications by December 2026.
In an Oct. 21 letter to the surgeon general, the advocates said the blueprint "risks exacerbating existing inequities" and places a burden on individuals while failing to address structural racism. The letter, signed by organizations including the California Black Women's Health Project, Black Women for Wellness and the California Nurse-Midwives Association, said the questionnaire gives the impression that there is personal fault or that individual behavior is to blame and discredits the system's role in "creating this crisis." The groups said there is no research to show that personal risk assessments improve outcomes for birthing people.
The letter also said that the blueprint does not show "systemic racism as the driving factor" in maternal disparities.
The state surgeon general's office told the Times that it "is committed to working together with partners across the state ... to improve maternal health outcomes, reduce maternal mortality, and save the lives of California moms and pregnant people."
California has historically had a lower rate of deaths related to pregnancy and postpartum and has thus been held up as a model for its system of reviewing maternal deaths, according to the report.