Vice President Kamala Harris listens to Dr. Andrea Jackson during an event focused on Black maternal health at the UC San Francisco Medical Center’s Mission Bay campus. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
July 12, 2024 Story by: Editor
Vice President Kamala Harris has introduced a new set of national health and safety standards for hospitals aimed at protecting new mothers and addressing the maternal mortality crisis, a significant issue for Black women.
Speaking at the national convention of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., of which she is a member, Harris explained that the new standards establish clear and proper procedures for hospitals and clinics that deliver newborns. They also mandate that these facilities stock adequate specific medical supplies to handle any emergencies that may arise during childbirth.
Additionally, hospitals must have clear procedures for transferring maternity patients to other facilities if they cannot provide the necessary care. Hospital staff must also undergo annual training on evidence-based maternal health practices.
These measures are part of the administration’s “Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis,” which Harris announced in 2022.
“[W]e have addressed the long-standing crisis of maternal mortality—something as you know I’ve been working on since I was in the Senate,” Harris said. “Why? Because women in America die at a higher rate in connection with childbirth than women in any other wealthy nation in the world. And Black women are three times more likely to die in connection with childbirth.”
Harris also addressed reproductive rights and recent abortion bans in states like Texas.
“In the South, where a majority of Black women call home, every state except for Virginia has a ban, many with no exception even for rape or incest,” Harris said. “One does not have to abandon their faith to agree, the government should not be telling her what to do with her body.”
The blueprint also extends postpartum Medicaid coverage from 2 to 12 months and encourages states to cover doula services. The administration has approved postpartum extensions in 46 states, as well as in Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Data shows that while more women die giving birth in the U.S. than in any other wealthy nation, Black women are almost three times more likely to die than white women. Reasons for this high maternal mortality among Black women include lack of health care coverage, insufficient postpartum care, and racial discrimination.
According to an April 2023 report from the Centers for Disease Control, roughly 40% of Black, Hispanic, and multiracial mothers reported being discriminated against when receiving maternity care, and 45% of all mothers said they were reluctant to ask questions or discuss concerns with their healthcare provider. Source: Word In Black
