Washington, DC – On May 1, 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) pertaining to maternal mortality rates in the United States. This data shows a significant decrease in the U.S. maternal mortality rate from 32.9 to 22.3 deaths per 100,000 live births between 2021 and 2022. This significant reduction between 2021 and 2022 suggests the toll of the COVID-19 pandemic on maternal health in 2021, both as a cause of death and in its detrimental impact on the care and support birthing people received.
Despite the reduction in maternal mortality rates for all groups in the 2022 NCHS data, the disparities between some racial/ethnic subgroups observed in previous years remain consistent. Specifically, the most recent data shows that the maternal mortality rate for Black women is still more than twice that of Non-Hispanic White women.
Terrance E. Moore, Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs (AMCHP), released the following statement:
“AMCHP strongly emphasizes the importance of uplifting the tireless efforts of advocates, community-rooted organizations, and public health professionals who have been committed to improving maternal health in the United States. The collective effort to establish Maternal Mortality Review Committees, extend Medicaid coverage into the postpartum period for a full year, promote quality and respectful maternal healthcare, and intentionally align behind and invest in the work of community health workers, doulas, midwives, and other birth workers are some of the many noteworthy changes to the maternal and child health landscape. The decrease in maternal mortality rates is a call to lean into existing efforts to improve maternal health, connect with communities to support what is working, and forge ahead to advance policies and practices to eliminate maternal health inequities, particularly in the extended postpartum period.
We hope this new report is a sign that we are moving in the right direction in improving maternal health in our country. To make this reduction a lasting trend, we must prioritize eliminating racial disparities in maternal health and work towards changing the narrative to ensure that health and well-being, not just survival, become our measures of progress.”
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The Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs (AMCHP) is a national resource, partner, and advocate for state public health leaders who work and support state maternal and child health programs and others working to improve the health of women, children, youth, parents, families, and communities. AMCHP builds successful programs by disseminating best practices, advocating on behalf of our members in Washington, DC, providing technical assistance, convening leaders to share experiences and ideas, and advising states to reach our common goal of healthy children, healthy families, and healthy communities. For more information, visit www.amchp.org and follow AMCHP on LinkedIn, X (Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, and Threads.
Please contact Chery Manon Espinal (cmanonespinal@amchp.org) for questions or media requests.
