While several recent reports have detailed the ongoing struggles of maternal healthcare in the U.S. and worldwide, a June 22 report from HHS says that between 2008 and 2021, in-hospital delivery-related maternal mortality rates improved by 57 percent.
The agency believes that the decline is linked to both national and local-level strategies implemented throughout the 13-year period. And while the U.S. still has one of the highest maternal death rates of any developed nation, these improvements were reflected across all demographics, HHS researchers found.
For American Indian women, maternal mortality decreased by 92 percent. Pacific Islander women had a decrease of 79 percent. For Black women, the rates decreased by 76 percent. For Asian women it dropped by 73 percent. Among Hispanic women, rates decreased 60 percent, and for White women rates decreased by 40 percent, according to the release.