The Future Of Maternal Justice Is Being Written By These 6 Leaders

According to the National Institute for Health Care Management, NIHCM, the United States has the highest maternal mortality rate among high-income countries. Despite being high income, the United States is the only country where maternal mortality is increasing. In 2020, the maternal mortality rate in the U.S. was 23.8 deaths per 100,000 live births. Unfortunately, the mortality rate is nearly three times higher for Black women than for White women. The vastly unacceptable part of these statistics is that most pregnancy-related deaths are preventable.

Women are increasingly becoming more intolerant of the unnecessary mortality of women during pregnancy and during the postpartum months. As a result, advocates are making sure that maternal justice is a center-stage conversation.

Maternal Justice is affordable, timely, high-quality, equitable, and dignified care during and after pregnancy. According to Common Sense Childbirth, a national prenatal task force, maternal justice is essential. Maternal justice is a model of culturally sensitive care that aims to dismantle inequities in maternity care and maximize maternal health and well-being. It rests on human rights and requires us to chip away at racism entrenched in health systems. So, what are we going to do about it?

Advocates such as Congresswoman Alma Adams and Congresswoman Lauren Underwood are both Co-Founders & Co-Chairs of the Black Maternal Health Caucus. Together, both women are lobbying for “The Momnibus Act“. This act is designed to end preventable maternal death in America by ending maternal health disparities, growing and diversifying the perinatal health workforce, expanding access to maternal mental health and substance use care, lowering health care costs, investing in technological solutions, closing research gaps, improving data collection, and providing direct federal funding for local community-based organizations that improve maternal health outcomes.

Organizations such as Mom Congress, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to improving maternal health outcomes through education, advocacy, and policy development, are moving the needle forward. Founder of Mom Congress, Joy Burkhard, and her volunteers helped to pass five pieces of legislation benefiting mothers and childbirth in 2022.

Two more impactful leaders are co-founders, Takia Lamb and Amanda Mullen, of The Mom Community. This organization is dedicated to working to support the health of women and children. As well as reduce child neglect and abandonment. All while advocating for better birth outcomes and providing education and job opportunities that aid self-sufficiency. Simultaneously, surrounding women with community and friendship

Pioneers such as Latham Thomas, bestselling author, celebrity doula, and the founder of the Mama Glow Foundation, are committed to transforming the landscape of reproductive health in the U.S. by educating & empowering our communities. Driven by a deep commitment to transforming maternal health, her nonprofit tackles birth inequities through education and advocacy. With over 1,000 doulas trained and supporting educational advancement opportunities for midwives, working to enlist over 100,000 advocates over three years to impact the lives of birthing people, and amplifying the work of hundreds of creators around the country committed to storytelling that centers reproductive justice, advocates like Latham Thomas are rolling up their sleeves and logging hours in the fight for maternal justice.

Although not perfect, we are seeing progress regarding maternal justice. The progress can be credited largely to the loud and consistent voices of the maternal justice advocates. In the near future, we can hope to see more legislation, community, and education amplifying the inadequacies for mothers. The core of this work is centered around the fact that most pregnancy- related deaths are preventable. Women are coming together to find solutions, raise awareness, and pass legislation to help put a stop to maternal mortality.