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Kamala Harris takes action to address America’s Black maternal health crisis

Kamala-Harris

Reuters.com

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Vice President Kamala Harris has called for urgent action in curbing racial inequalities in pregnancy and childbirth. The Biden administration has earmarked $30 million to implement the vice president’s Maternal CARE Act, which will provide healthcare providers with implicit bias training. 

While all women face risk, Black women endure unreasonably high rates of maternal

mortality. Black women in the United States are roughly three times more likely to die giving birth. Harris told STAT in an emailed interview, “With every day that goes by and every woman who dies, the need for action grows more urgent”.

The United States has one of the highest rates for pregnancy deaths. The number of pregnancy-related deaths has steadily risen from 7.2 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1987 to 17.3 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2017. 

 Vice president Harris is not the only one in the white house looking to improve Black Maternal Health. President Joe Biden issued a proclamation to mark Black Maternal Health week. In it, he called on others to recognize the importance of addressing the country’s ongoing Black maternal mortality crisis and the various factors driving it. 

It states, “Ensuring that all women have equitable access to health care before, during, and after pregnancy is essential.  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.”

As the Biden-Harris administration continues to address the issues affecting the nation, they are making history for Black women moving forward.

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