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“ MY ASPIRATION IS FOR MATERNAL HEALTH SERVICES AND RESOURCES TO BE MORE ACCESSIBLE AND EQUITABLE IN OUR COUNTRY ”

» Black women have three to four times the rate of maternal death compared to white women , as well as twice the rate of severe maternal morbidities like stroke , seizures , and cardiac events . Preeclampsia ( sudden-onset high blood pressure during pregnancy ) is a leading cause of severe maternal morbidity , maternal death , preterm birth , low birthweight , and associated medical costs – and it ’ s 60 % more common in Black women vs . white women . This can be reduced in many cases with low-dose aspirin . Although some disparities can be explained by risk factors , deeply ingrained , unrecognised bias within the healthcare delivery system also plays an important role . Black women are on the receiving end of this bias , a situation that contributes to a breakdown in communication among providers and patients and negatively impacts a woman ’ s influence over her own care .

» To promote maternal health , Aetna , a CVS Health business , offers the Aetna Maternity Program , an initiative that provides family planning resources , access to nurses and maternity resources and more . The program leverages predictive analytics to identify women who may be at risk for pregnancyrelated complications and creates interventions that help to close that risk through behavioural nudges .