President of the United States, Joe Biden, says black women in America are more prone to die during pregnancy than their white counterparts.
Biden stated this via in a
White House press statement released on Wednesday, where he noted that the sad
reality for the race has made the Black Maternal Health Week an urgent call for
action.
The US president also said his
administration is addressing the disparities the black community face in the
US. According to him, disparities that address the health of black women are
being addressed by his administration.
It reads in part; “Women in
America are dying at a higher rate from pregnancy-related causes than women in
any other developed nation. Black women face even more risk and are three times
more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women. That is in
no small part because of a long history of systemic racism and bias. Studies
show that when Black women suffer from severe injuries or pregnancy
complications or simply ask for assistance, they are often dismissed or ignored
in the health care settings that are supposed to care for them.
People of color — including
expecting mothers — also bear the brunt of environmental injustices like air
and water pollution, which worsen health outcomes. Too often, Black mothers
lack access to safe and secure housing, affordable transportation, and affordable,
healthy food. This is unjust and unacceptable.
That is why my Administration
has worked to address this crisis from the very beginning. Vice President
Kamala Harris came into office as a key leader on maternal health and continues
to fight for improved maternal health outcomes, elevating the issue nationally
and convening experts and activists to find solutions.
My Administration’s first piece
of historic legislation — the American Rescue Plan — gave States the option to
provide a full year of postpartum coverage to women on Medicaid, increasing it
from just 60 days previously. Now, 45 States, Washington, D.C., and the United
States Virgin Islands provide a full year of this critical care. We also made
coverage under the Affordable Care Act more affordable, saving millions of
families an average of $800 per year on health insurance premiums.”
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