maternal health
The CDC says maternal mortality rates in the U.S. got better, after a pandemic spike
After spiking in 2021, the maternal mortality rate in the U.S. improved significantly the following year, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The data shows that 817 women died of maternal causes in the U.S. in 2022, compared to 1,205 in 2021. These are deaths that take place during pregnancy or within 42 days following delivery, according to the World Health Organization, “from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management, but not from accidental or incidental causes.”
“I think that the bump [in 2021] reflects the pandemic and we’re returning to pre-pandemic levels,” says study author Donna Hoyert, who a health scientist at the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics.
Where is the Maternal Health Gap?
Maternal health has long been a central focus in global initiatives, prominently featured in key frameworks such as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s, and Adolescents’ Health.
Unfortunately, despite these efforts, the ambitious targets—particularly those aimed at reducing maternal mortality—remain unmet.
A recent report from the Copenhagen Consensus Center highlights these challenges, and this infographic offers further insight into the statistics.
Earth Day & Public Health: Unavoidably Connected
Each year on April 22nd, people and nations around the world celebrate Earth Day to raise awareness and promote action toward environmental protection and sustainability. Activities typically include community clean-ups and educational campaigns designed to promote sustainability in daily life.
The origins of Earth Day date back to the 1960s and a decade of growing enviro-consciousness brought about by the publication of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring and a series of environmental disasters that climaxed with a devastating oil spill off the coast of California in 1969. Gaylord Nelson, a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, organized the first Earth Day in 1970, when an estimated 20 million Americans took part in organized activities ranging from tree plantings to beach cleanups and teach-ins on college campuses.
Since those humble beginnings, Earth Day has become a global event – but amidst the tree plantings and landscape revitalization lies a subtle and yet direct connection between Earth Day and Public Health. Just as we depend on the natural environment for our survival, civilization creates and shapes a social and economic environment that greatly influences the health and well-being of our species.