Vice President Kamala Harris hosted a Maternal Health Day of Action recently. The event highlighted some of the current challenges in the United States related to maternal health. “The United States has the highest maternal mortality rate of any wealthy nation in the world. Every year, people in the United States die of pregnancy-related causes at more than double the rate among nations with similar levels of income. Maternal mortality statistics in the United States have actually worsened over the past 20 years, even as rates among peer nations have generally improved.”

One of the focuses of the event was on the ways passing the Build Back Better Bill would support maternal health. A variety of other proposals and ideas were discussed. One highlight was “new guidance to help states provide 12 months of continuous postpartum coverage through their Medicaid programs, up from 60 days. Currently, states are only required to provide coverage for 60 days postpartum, despite research showing that many deaths and complications occur more than 60 days following delivery.” Another initiative Harris announced was “that more than 20 companies and non-profits have pledged to invest more than $20 million in maternal health efforts in the United States and over $150 million globally”

Congresswomen Alma Adams also attended the event. She wrote an Op-Ed where she writes “Additionally, the Momnibus provisions in Build Back Better invest in addressing social determinants of health that influence maternal health outcomes; invest in Historically Black Colleges and Universities to train culturally competent health professionals”

 You can watch video of the event below: