Advocating for

Maternal and Infant Health

Policy solutions are needed to respond to unacceptably poor maternal and infant health outcomes in the United States. Information, data points, policies, and resources on this page were curated to help advocates learn and take action on policies to improve maternal and infant health.

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MENTAL & BEHAVIORAL HEALTH

Environmental Health & the Climate

Infectious Diseases & Vaccination

Maternal & Infant Health

Nutrition & Food Security

Substance Use

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Maternal mortality rates are continuing to increase.

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Significant racial disparities in maternal and infant health outcomes.

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Coverage gaps, limited access to healthcare, and systemic racism drive health disparities.

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Learn more about Maternal & Infant Health

Data to Power Your Advocacy

We can transform our policies, systems, and environments to provide the vital community conditions that all people need to be healthy. The below policy aims and example policies and programs can be advanced to achieve maternal and infant health improvements.

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Address Racial Disparities and Implicit Bias

Reducing racial disparities in maternal health outcomes requires addressing implicit bias and promoting culturally competent care.

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Expand Vital Conditions

Strengthening the social determinants of health ensures safer and healthier conditions for mothers and infants.

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Increase Support for Maternal Health Programs

Expanding access to maternal support programs improves outcomes for mothers and infants.

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Promote Mental Well-Being

Addressing mental health challenges during and after pregnancy is essential for both mothers and infants.

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Expand Access to Contraception and Safe Abortion Services

Ensuring access to reproductive health services supports maternal health and autonomy

Community-Based Maternal and Infant Care, Meaningful Work, and Pursuit of the Triple Aim

Midwives, doulas, and other community-based maternal and infant care workers provide essential services to pregnant and perinatal people, particularly from communities of color who face significant disparities in maternal and infant health outcomes. In addition to improving population health, expanding community-based maternal and infant care reduces costs of care, and provides an improved care experience (in other words, it advances the Triple Aim for optimizing the health of individuals and populations), while creating high-quality jobs with real purpose. Policies that expand access to community-based maternal and infant health care provide a systems-level solution to pressing maternal and infant health challenges and a strategy for expanding opportunities for meaningful work and wealth.

ADVANCING FEDERAL POLICIES

The Consolidated Appropriations Act

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, of 2021, this legislation included provisions to reduce maternal health disparities by funding implicit bias training and cultural competency programs. Key elements include:

Increased funding for maternal health services and community health initiatives.

Supported implicit bias and cultural competency training for healthcare providers.

Momnibus Act

Momnibus Act of 2021 is a comprehensive package of bills aimed at improving maternal health outcomes, particularly for Black women. Key components are:

Funding for community-based maternal health organizations.

Investment in data collection and research on maternal health disparities.

Support for workforce development, including doulas and midwives.

Learn and Act with Community Commons

Policies and information contained in this module are based on the Public Health Policy Information Sheet which was prepared by WE Public Health, LLC for the American Public Health Association and Public Health AmeriCorps.