The Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs (AMCHP), American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, March of Dimes, and Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine led a letter with 125 signatories to Congressional leadership urging them to swiftly pass the bipartisan Preventing Maternal Deaths Reauthorization Act of 2023 (H.R. 3838/S. 2415) or include the bill in the final FY 2025 appropriations package or any other must-pass legislative package. The Preventing Maternal Deaths Reauthorization Act (PMDA) passed out of the Senate HELP Committee in the fall of 2023 and passed the House with overwhelming bipartisan support on March 5, 2024.
Read the letter and view the signers.
This legislation is vital in addressing America’s worsening maternal mortality crisis, which disproportionately impacts Black and Indigenous birthing people. In 2021, over 1,200 women died from pregnancy or childbirth. Research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) using state Maternal Mortality Review Committee (MMRC) data indicates that over 80% of maternal mortalities are preventable. We must understand these deaths and enact solutions to save hundreds of lives each year.
PMDA would reauthorize federal support for state-based MMRCs through 2028 to continue collecting and analyzing data on every maternal death and identify solutions to address maternal health disparities. It also requires the CDC and the Health Resources and Services Administration to disseminate best practices for preventing maternal mortality.
Congress must act urgently to address the maternal mortality crisis and prevent future, unnecessary deaths by swiftly passing PMDA.
Check out previous letters in support of PMDA:
- July 2023 letter urging for swift passage of the Preventing Maternal Deaths Reauthorization Act
- January 2024 letter supporting efforts to include the PREEMIE Reauthorization Act and the Preventing Maternal Deaths Reauthorization Act in the final FY 24 appropriations package or as part of any other must-pass legislative package
Please don’t hesitate to be in touch with AMCHP’s Government Affairs Team: Sherie Lou Santos (ssantos@amchp.org) and Amani Echols (aechols@amchp.org).
