Vice President Kamala Harris says the need to address the Black maternal health crisis grows more urgent every day.
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It’s an American crisis that was long ignored at the government’s highest levels: Black women in the U.S. are roughly three times more likely to die giving birth than white women. Now, breaking new ground for a vice president, Kamala Harris is calling for sweeping action to curb racial inequities in pregnancy and childbirth.
“With every day that goes by and every woman who dies, the need for action grows more urgent,” Harris told STAT in an emailed interview.
Below is Alston & Bird’s
Health Care Week in Review, which provides a synopsis of the latest news in healthcare regulations, notices, and guidance; federal legislation and congressional committee action; reports, studies, and analyses; and other health policy news.
Week in Review Highlight of the Week:
This week, President Biden signed a bill extending a moratorium on Medicare sequestration through the end of 2021. Read more about the law and other news below.
I. Regulations, Notices & Guidance
On April 15, 2021, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued guidance entitled,
Remote Interactive Evaluations of Drug Manufacturing and Bioresearch Monitoring Facilities During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. FDA is issuing this guidance to describe how the agency will request and conduct voluntary remote interactive evaluations at facilities where drugs are manufactured, processed, packed, or held; facilities covered under FDA’s bioresearch monitoring (BIMO) program; an
Doctor Who Lost Her Son Discusses Black Maternal Health Week
For many women, nothing could be more painful than losing a child. But that’s exactly what happened to Dr. Sharon Ingram, a board-certified OBGYN in Florida. She was in medical school when her four-month-old son passed away from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) at a local daycare center.
She lost her first-born nearly 20 years ago, but it’s a day she’ll never forget. “I dropped out of medical school because I thought that I should have been not studying,” Ingram said to ABC this week. “I thought I should have been with him because maybe I could have made a difference, although I know now that you cannot.”
âThis is a disparity:â Black Maternal Health week highlights disparities, proposed solutions
Black Maternal Health week highlights disparities By Courtney Cole | April 16, 2021 at 9:47 PM EDT - Updated April 16 at 9:49 PM
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - For many mothers, welcoming their baby into the world is an exciting time, but disproportionate maternal mortality and morbidity rates make that excitement difficult.
Aignee Doyle and her husband Daquan are less than two months away from welcoming their baby girl Nova into the world.
âIâm very excited about decorating her room. Iâm someone who organizes, I love to organize and then just that unconditional love from my child, Iâm very excited for that,â Doyle said.
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As Black obstetrician-gynecologists, midwives and members of the UPMC family, we have come together to highlight the current state of affairs for pregnant women of color. The U.S., a developed nation, has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world, with Black women affected disproportionately in comparison with other races. Bringing awareness of this disparity is important to us because we are caregivers, mothers, partners, daughters, friends and confidants to many Black women.
Dedicated to addressing disparities and inequity in health care, UPMC extends services that meet the many different needs of our unique and diverse communities in all of the broad regions we serve throughout western and central Pennsylvania. UPMC provides expertise at UPMC Magee, UPMC Hamot, UPMC Altoona, UPMC Pinnacle and UPMC Williamsport. We are proud that UPMC is showing it