April 13 (UPI) — Vice President Kamala Harris will hold a meeting with Cabinet officials Wednesday at the White House to talk about the administration’s approach to improving maternal health, particularly for women of color. The meeting highlights Black Maternal Health Week, which brings attention to statistics showing challenges African American women face during childbirth and efforts to address those concerns.
The meeting is expected to start about 2:15 p.m., EDT.
“The vice president will convene leaders across the federal government — including agencies that may not have historically taken a leading role addressing the maternal health crisis,” the White House said Wednesday.
“Ahead of the meeting with Cabinet officials, the administration is following up with additional actions to address maternal health, and to combat the systemic inequities that lead to worse maternal outcomes for Black, Native American, and rural women.”
The White House said 11 additional states and Washington, D.C., have asked to extend Medicaid and CHIP coverage for 12 months after pregnancy under the American Rescue Plan to address maternal issues.
“As a senator, Vice President Harris was a champion on the issue of maternal health,” the White House said. “She brought racial disparities in maternal mortality, particularly for Black women, to the forefront legislatively, increasing awareness among her colleagues and leading to a broader discussion of racial disparities across other health issues.
“She introduced several bills in the Senate specifically targeted to addressing racial disparities in maternal mortality, including the Maternal CARE Act and the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act.”
