This Senate resolution designates April 11 through April 17, 2024, as the seventh annual Black Maternal Health Week to draw attention to the maternal health crisis affecting Black women in the United States. The resolution highlights that Black women are two to three times more likely than white women to die from pregnancy-related causes and experience twice the rate of life-threatening pregnancy complications, with maternal mortality rates rising significantly in recent years and worsening by 26 percent since the COVID-19 pandemic. The resolution identifies structural racism, discrimination in healthcare, limited access to maternal care services, and barriers faced by Black midwives and doulas as key contributors to these disparities. While this is a symbolic measure with no direct funding attached, it calls on Congress to support policies and legislation such as the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act, invest in Black-led maternal health organizations, ensure continuous health insurance coverage for postpartum care up to one year after birth, and address systemic issues including criminal justice reform and workplace protections for pregnant workers. The resolution emphasizes that Black women must be active participants in policy decisions affecting their maternal health care.
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