The U.S. maternal health crisis has deepened, with mortality rates and adverse outcomes worsening significantly in 2020/2021 compared to 2018/2019. The General Accounting Office (GAO) recently reported persistent disparities, noting that non-Hispanic Black/African American women face a maternal mortality rate 2.5 times higher than non-Hispanic white women.
In response to this alarming trend, the White House released the Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis in June 2022. This comprehensive plan outlines long-term goals for improving maternal health and highlights initiatives such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Perinatal Quality Collaborative program.
However, the GAO has identified a critical gap in the implementation of this blueprint. As of September 2023, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) had not established methods to measure progress toward these goals. The GAO is now calling on HHS to implement key performance measurement practices, including setting near-term goals and performance measures.
Additionally, the GAO recommends that the CDC establish quantitative targets for the Perinatal Quality Collaborative program’s near-term goals. HHS has agreed with these recommendations and plans to address them promptly.
The urgency of this matter cannot be overstated. The United States continues to have one of the highest maternal mortality rates among developed nations. As the GAO report emphasizes, time is of the essence in addressing this crisis.
Experts are now calling for swift action from HHS to develop robust assessment frameworks. Furthermore, there is a growing demand for the GAO to monitor the progress of its recommendations and keep the public informed. The path to improving maternal health outcomes in the United States requires immediate attention and concerted efforts from all stakeholders involved.
See: “GAO Calls On HHS to Create Strong Assessments for White House Blueprint on the Maternal Health Crisis” (February 27, 2024)
