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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
RECOGNIZING JANUARY 23rd, 2026, AS MATERNAL HEALTH AWARENESS DAY IN COOK COUNTY
WHEREAS, in 2018, New Jersey became the first state to recognize January 23rd as Maternal Health Awareness Day through the work of the New Jersey Section of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists (ACOG), Tara Hansen Foundation, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, and other vital organizations that work to help spread awareness and stop maternal mortality; and
WHEREAS, the theme for this year’s Maternal Health Awareness Day is “Holding Ground on Maternal Health” reaffirming our staunch commitment to preventing maternal deaths and advancing respectful, evidence-based care; and
WHEREAS, maternal care access is becoming increasingly challenging, with more than one-third (35.1%) of U.S. counties considered maternity care deserts (areas without a single birthing facility or obstetric clinician), according to a 2024 March of Dimes report; and
WHEREAS, more than 2.3 million women aged 15-44 live in counties considered maternity care deserts, with no access to obstetric care, birth centers, ob-gyns or certified perinatal practitioners; and
WHEREAS, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) the 12-month ending provisional maternal mortality rates by race ending March 2025 are as follows: Hispanic or Latina 11.1 per 100,000 live births, White non-Hispanic 15.2, Asian non-Hispanic 15.3 and Black non-Hispanic 47.4; and
WHEREAS, these results are unacceptable and occur irrespective of income or education levels. A person’s race should never determine their health outcomes, and pregnancy and childbirth should be safe for all; and
WHEREAS, as the wealthiest nation in the world, the U.S. should also be the safest place in the world to be pregnant and give birth; however, we are consistently among the least safe, with rates of maternal mortality and serious injury continuing to grow at an alarming rate; and
WHEREAS, according to the CDC, cardiovascular conditions such as pulmonary embolisms, uncontrolled bleeding and problems emanating from hypertension are the leading cause of pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S. and most, over 80% are preventable and nearly half of maternal deaths occur between seven and 365 days postpartum, not during delivery itself; and
WHEREAS, each year, more than 50,000 individuals in the United States suffer from a ‘‘near miss’’ or severe maternal morbidity, which includes potentially life-threatening complications that arise from labor and childbirth; and
WHEREAS, it is vitally important for us to improve maternal morbidity and mortality rates and the health disparities that contribute to adverse pregnancy outcomes, and raising awareness about this crisis is important to make maternal health the national priority it should be; and
WHEREAS, community-based maternal health care models, including, doula support services, midwifery childbirth services, community and perinatal health worker services, and group prenatal care, in collaboration with culturally competent physician care, show great promise in improving maternal health outcomes and reducing disparities in maternal health outcomes; and
WHEREAS, advocacy and community-based organizations, and others have used January 23rd as a day to raise awareness about maternal health, educate health care providers about maternal mortality, and encourage birthing people, families and providers to recognize and discuss potential signs of an emergency; and
WHEREAS, this Honorable Body wishes to promote and raise awareness of Maternal Health Awareness Day in Cook County by raising public awareness about maternal mortality, maternal morbidity, and disparities in maternal health outcomes;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Cook County Board of Commissioners, on behalf of the more than 5.2 million residents of Cook County, do hereby take this opportunity to acknowledge National Maternal Health Awareness Day; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that in conjunction with National Maternal Health Awareness Day, that January 23rd, 2026, be hereby declared Maternal Health Awareness Day in the County of Cook; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this text be spread upon the official proceedings of this Honorable Body.
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