White House Maternal Health Blueprint
Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis
The United States is facing a maternal health crisis. Our country’s maternal mortality rate is the highest of any developed nation in the world and more than double the rate of peer countries, and most pregnancy-related deaths are considered preventable. Beyond maternal mortality, severe maternal morbidity impacts far too many families.
Each year, thousands of women experience unexpected outcomes of labor and delivery that result in significant short- or long-term consequences to their health such as heart issues, the need for blood transfusions, eclampsia, and blood infections. Systemic barriers, together with a failure to recognize, respect and listen to patients of color, has meant that Black and American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) women, regardless of income or education, experience a greater share of these grave outcomes, as do rural women. The White House imagines a future where every person in this country can have a safe, dignified pregnancy and birth and where equitable access to health care before, during and after pregnancy is assured. With the actions we take to improve maternal health, we advance our vision for the future, and we call on every segment of society to join us in this work.
White House Maternal Health Goals
- Goal 1: Increase Access to and Coverage of Comprehensive High-Quality Maternal Health Services, Including Behavioral Health Services
- Goal 2: Ensure Those Giving Birth are Heard and are Decisionmakers in Accountable Systems of Care
- Goal 3: Advance Data Collection, Standardization, Harmonization, Transparency, and Research
- Goal 4: Expand and Diversify the Perinatal Workforce
- Goal 5: Strengthen Economic and Social Supports for People Before, During, and After Pregnancy
Read the Evidence to Action Briefs
Learn More
Click any of the buttons below to learn more about the actions we can all take to improve maternal health outcomes.
Maternal Health Blueprint Videos
Watch the “Building a New Way Forward” Roundtable Discussion
Watch The White House Maternal Health Blueprint Explainer Video
The Roundtable was coordinated in collaboration with The Reilly Group (TRG) and Postpartum Support International’s (PSI) Mind the Gap and the Explainer Video was developed in collaboration with The Reilly Group.