Philadelphia City Council discusses maternal health disparities
Philadelphia City Council discusses maternal health disparities WHYY
sdgtalks
City Council Holds Hearing on Racial Disparities in Maternal Deaths
Introduction
From Philly and the Pa. suburbs to South Jersey and Delaware, what would you like WHYY News to cover? Let us know!
Members of Philadelphia’s City Council marked International Women’s Day on Friday with a conversation about racial disparities in maternal deaths. They invited community leaders, politicians, and medical professionals to discuss causes and potential solutions.
The Committee on Public Health and Human Services, chaired by Councilmember at-large Nina Ahmad, convened the hearings to address inequities in local health care systems.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being
- Goal 5: Gender Equality
- Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities
- Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals
Maternal Deaths in the United States
For many developed countries, fatal childbirths have been in decline for decades. But the United States has seen maternal deaths rise. In 2021, 1,205 women died of maternal causes in the United States compared with 861 in 2020 and 754 in 2019. The maternal mortality rate for 2021 was 32.9 deaths per 100,000 live births, compared with a rate of 23.8 in 2020. The rate of maternal deaths for Black women was 2.6 times that of white women, according to the CDC — a difference that controls for economics, geography or other health problems doesn’t erase.
Testimonies and Proposed Solutions
- Michele Lamarr-Suggs, a pastor at Royal Generation and a certified midwife at Penn Medicine, emphasized the need to address the root causes of the crisis, such as racism, classism, and gender oppression.
- Dr. Stacey Kallem, director of the Philadelphia Department of Public Health’s Maternal, Child and Family Health division, shared her emotional experiences reviewing deaths from childbirth complications.
- Proposed solutions included embracing the use of doulas and midwives during the prenatal and birthing process, advocating for insurance coverage of doulas and midwives, increasing education requirements for midwives, implementing a universal basic income (UBI) pilot for expectant mothers funded by the Philly Joy Bank, and finding ways to retain more Black doctors in the city.
- An NIH-published study from 2016 found evidence of racial bias in healthcare, with doctors treating Black patients differently based on stereotypes.
- Pennsylvania State Rep. Morgan Cephas proposed two bills in Harrisburg to tackle racial bias in healthcare, but faced challenges due to division in the state House.
Next Steps and Impact on City Business
Councilmember At-Large Nina Ahmad emphasized the importance of presenting the data on birthing deaths in an easily accessible manner to persuade more people and spur them to action. The topic of the hearings is expected to figure prominently into city business next week when Mayor Cherelle Parker delivers her first budget address.
Conclusion
Jadon George, a journalism student at Temple University and an intern for WHYY’s The Pulse, contributed to this report.
Share this
WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?
- SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
- SDG 5: Gender Equality
- SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?
- SDG 3.1: By 2030, reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births.
- SDG 3.2: By 2030, end preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age, with all countries aiming to reduce neonatal mortality to at least as low as 12 per 1,000 live births and under-5 mortality to at least as low as 25 per 1,000 live births.
- SDG 5.1: End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere.
- SDG 10.3: Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies, and practices and promoting appropriate legislation, policies, and action in this regard.
3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?
- Maternal mortality rate per 100,000 live births
- Racial disparities in maternal deaths
- Access to doulas and midwives during the prenatal and birthing process
- Insurance coverage for doulas and midwives
- Educational requirements for midwives
- Representation of Black doctors in the city
- Universal basic income (UBI) pilot for expectant mothers
Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being | 3.1: By 2030, reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births. | – Maternal mortality rate per 100,000 live births | ||||
| SDG 5: Gender Equality | 5.1: End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere. | – Racial disparities in maternal deaths | ||||
| 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation. | – N/A | |||||
| SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities | 10.3: Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies, and practices and promoting appropriate legislation, policies, and action in this regard. | – Access to doulas and midwives during the prenatal and birthing process | – Insurance coverage for doulas and midwives | – Educational requirements for midwives | – Representation of Black doctors in the city | – Universal basic income (UBI) pilot for expectant mothers |
Behold! This splendid article springs forth from the wellspring of knowledge, shaped by a wondrous proprietary AI technology that delved into a vast ocean of data, illuminating the path towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Remember that all rights are reserved by SDG Investors LLC, empowering us to champion progress together.
Source: whyy.org
Join us, as fellow seekers of change, on a transformative journey at https://sdgtalks.ai/welcome, where you can become a member and actively contribute to shaping a brighter future.
