Stacey Plaskett: “This Black Maternal Health Week, we confront the glaring reality that Black women in America are three times more likely…”

“This Black Maternal Health Week, we confront the glaring reality that Black women in America are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications across socioeconomic criteria and education than similarly situated White women. Research highlights a disturbing attribution, that Black women are also significantly more likely to encounter disrespectful treatment during childbirth, facing scolding, threats, and even outright hostility. These disparities in treatment are not new. They are deeply embedded in the fabric, unfortunately, of our healthcare system and our society. The fact that maternal death in the U.S. has more than doubled over two decades, with Black mothers suffering the highest rate, is a national tragedy. Moreover, the CDC's finding that over 80 percent of those deaths were preventable should be a call to action. As a mother of five and a mother for a daughter, I find the current trajectory deeply troubling and wholly unacceptable. It poses a severe threat to the health and safety of Black women and all women across our Nation. It is paramount that we improve awareness of the urgent maternal warning signs and ensure the provision of timely, respectful, and quality care. We must save these lives. ____________________”