The Biden administration and HHS outlined plans to improve Black maternal health — which has long suffered from inequities both in healthcare and the workforce due to systemic racism.
Multiple studies have shown that Black women are more likely to experience dismissal of their healthcare needs in medical settings, are more likely to die of complications while giving birth, the administration said. And even when they do give birth, afterward they are more likely to be fired, quit, or forced to return to work before it is healthy for them to do so, the Biden administration's proclamation points out.
"People aren't receiving the care that they deserve," Angela Doyinsola Aina, cofounder and executive director of the Black Mamas Matter Alliance told USA Today April 11. "We still have a lot of work to do, especially systemically."
Both government publications come as part of Black Maternal Health Week, which runs April 11-17 each year during National Minority Health Month.
The HHS has outlined $468 million in funding from the HHS through the Health Resources and Services Administration to address maternal health issues including:
- $435 million for "current state, territory, and tribal awardees to continue their work supporting pregnant individuals and parents with young children who live in communities that face greater risks and barriers to achieving positive maternal and child health outcomes."
- $23 million for "implementing state-specific actions that address disparities in maternal health" and improving related health outcomes.
- Up to $10 million to "establish a network comprised of minority-serving institutions" and further "research addressing disparities in maternal mortality."
In addition, the HHS has also recently created a "Birthing Friendly" hospital designation that the Biden administration noted is designed to aid expectant mothers in identifying where to receive the best care. The designation will be "a public-facing recognition of the quality and safety of maternity care which will be publicly reported on the Care Compare website beginning this Fall," according to the release.