AHA Letter to Congress in Support of the Preventing Maternal Deaths Reauthorization Act

July 26, 2023

Dear Speaker McCarthy, Majority Leader Schumer, Leader Jeffries, and Leader McConnell,

We, the undersigned 85 national organizations committed to improving the health and well-being of our nation’s families, write to express our strong support for the bipartisan Preventing Maternal Deaths Reauthorization Act of 2023 (H.R.3838/S.2415). This legislation continues crucial federal support for the state-based maternal mortality review committees (MMRCs) that review pregnancy-related deaths to identify causes and make recommendations for the prevention of future mortalities. With our nation’s maternal mortality rate on the rise, we urge you to swiftly pass the Preventing Maternal Deaths Reauthorization Act. It is critical that Congress does everything in its power to address the maternal mortality crisis and work towards solutions to prevent future, unnecessary deaths.

The maternal mortality crisis continues to worsen in the United States. In 2021, over 1,200 women died as a result of pregnancy or childbirth, continuing an upward trend of over 20 years.¹ Racial disparities in maternal outcomes persist, with Black and Indigenous birthing people dying at 2-3 times the rate of their white counterparts.² Additionally, rural areas experience higher rates of maternal mortality compared to urban areas.³ Yet research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) using state Maternal Mortality Review Committee data indicates that at least 80% of maternal mortalities are preventable.⁴ It is imperative that we understand why deaths are occurring and enact solutions to save the lives of hundreds of birthing people each year.

The Preventing Maternal Deaths Reauthorization Act is a vital component of America’s fight against maternal mortality. Specifically, the bill would reauthorize, through 2028, federal support for states to collect and analyze data on every maternal death in order to identify solutions toward addressing disparities in maternal health outcomes and preserving the life and health of mothers during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. This legislation would also require the CDC to work in consultation with the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to disseminate best practices relating to the prevention of maternal mortality to hospitals and other health care providers.

We look forward to working with you to pass the Preventing Maternal Deaths Reauthorization Act of 2023 as an important step towards eliminating maternal mortality in our nation. For more information, please contact Sherie Lou Santos, Director of Government Affairs at the Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs, at ssantos@amchp.org.

Sincerely,

2 Degrees Foundation
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
AFE Foundation
African American Mayors Association
AIDS Alliance for Women, Infants, Children, Youth & Families
Alliance for Black NICU Families
Alliance of Sleep Apnea Partners
American Academy of Pediatrics
American College of Clinical Pharmacy
American College of Nurse-Midwives
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
American College of Physicians
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
American Heart Association
American Hospital Association
American Medical Association
American Nurses Association
American Psychiatric Association
American Psychological Association Services
American Public Health Association
Anchor Perinatal Wellness
APS Foundation of America, Inc
Association for Prevention Teaching and Research
Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)
Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs
Association of Physician Associates in Obstetrics and Gynecology (APAOG)
Association of Public Health Nurses
Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses
Baby Café USA, Inc
Black Mamas Matter Alliance, Inc. (BMMA)
Catholic Health Association of the United States
Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP)
Centering Healthcare Institute
Centro Pediatrico de Lactancia Y Crianza
Child Welfare League of America
Children's Environmental Health Network
Every Mother Counts
Family Voices
FASD United
Futures Without Violence
GLO Preemies
Hand to Hold
HealthConnect One
Healthy Families America
Healthy Teen Network
HealthyWomen
Hyperemesis Education and Research Foundation
Institute for Perinatal Quality Improvement
Lamaze International
March For Moms
March of Dimes
Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance
Mind the Gap Coalition
MomsRising
National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities
National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health
National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners
National Black Women’s HIV/AIDS Network
National Blood Clot Alliance
National Coalition of STD Directors
National Institute for Children's Health Quality (NICHQ)
National League for Nursing
National Nurse-Led Care Consortium
Nurse-Family Partnership
Organization of Teratology Information Specialists
Parents as Teachers
PCOS Challenge: The National Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Association
Postpartum Support International
Preeclampsia Foundation
PreemieWorld.com
RH Impact: The Collaborative for Equity & Justice
Safe States Alliance
Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine
Society for Reproductive Investigation
Society for Women's Health Research
Start Early
Tara Hansen Foundation
The National Alliance to Advance Adolescent Health
The Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health (formerly 2020 Mom)
The PPROM Foundation
The Tatia Oden French Memorial Foundation
Then Shane Foundation
Trust for America's Health
Women of Color Health Equity Collective

1. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hestat/maternal-mortality/2021/maternal-mortality-rates-2021.htm#:~:text=In%202021%2C%201%2C205%20women%20died,20.1%20in%202019%20(Table)
2. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2806661/li>
3. https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/10.2105/AJPH.2022.307134#:~:text=Data%20from%20the%20National%20Inpatient,socioeconomic%20factors%20and%20clinical%20conditions
4. https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternal-mortality/erase-mm/data-mmrc.html