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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
RECOGNIZING JANUARY 23rd 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 "Access in Crisis" as maternal care access is becoming more and more challenging, with more than one-third of U.S. counties considered maternity care deserts, according to a 2022 March of Dimes report; and
WHEREAS, more than 2.2 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, many people, including those in the postpartum period, are losing Medicaid coverage following the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency, and the 12 months immediately after delivery can be critical because that is when some of the deadliest pregnancy-related complications occur; and
WHEREAS, Health and Human Services officials and stakeholders reported that the Covid-19 pandemic worsened factors contributing to maternal health disparities, like access to care, cardiovascular problems and other underlying conditions, which contributed to a 78% overall increase in maternal mortality rates in the U.S. between 2000-2020. The maternal death rate for Black or African American (not Hispanic or Latina) women was 44.0 per 100,000 live births in 2019, then increased to 55.3 in 2020, and 68.9 in 2021. In contrast, White (not Hispanic or Latina) women had death rates of 17.9, 19.1, and 26.1, respectively; and
WHEREAS, these results are unacceptable and occur regardless of income or...
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