‘No woman should have to die’ | Health leaders hold first maternal mortality symposium in Atlanta
On Wednesday, more than 250 researchers, health leaders, community members, patients and government officials convened for the first symposium in Atlanta to address maternal health.
It was organized by Emory University’s Woodruff Health Sciences Center in collaboration with Research!America, Morehouse School of Medicine, Mercer University School of Medicine and other community partners.
“No woman should have to die from a pregnancy-related complication in a country that has one of the best healthcare systems in the world,” said Natalie Hernandez, the founding director of Morehouse’s Center for Maternal Health Equity. “This should be a moment of joy and not a moment of dread. There’s so many things that we can do.”
Hernandez moderated a conversation with Heather Dobbs, who is a doula and perinatal patient navigator.
“I nearly hemorrhaged to death and had to have an emergency hysterectomy because of that experience,” she said. “I learned afterwards that women who look like me are 3 to 4 times more likely to die in childbirth.”
“A lot of the things that are happening are treatable and preventable and we really could be doing a much better job than what we’re doing now,” she said. “While there are several mothers that have unfortunately passed away… there are also those of us that are living with that trauma that impacted our families and we’re having to go on and continue.”
It found that one in 10 Georgians know of someone who has died during pregnancy, at delivery, or soon after birth, and more than half (57%) have experienced or know someone who has experienced complications during pregnancy.
“That is shocking. That’s far higher than the actual statistic,” said Mary Wooley, president and CEO of Research!America. “The fact that this is so front of mind for people and so concerning is overwhelming.”
She hopes they can use that data to make informed decisions about public policy and healthcare in the future.
“The people, regardless of their partisan identity, want this to be a top concern of leaders in Georgia,” she said. “If you’re concerned and hopeful, that tells you we can go in a better direction. We can achieve more healthy lives for mothers, and for children, and for families. There’s every reason to be optimistic.”