Maternal Health Disparities: The Women Behind the Data. A Webinar Series
A webinar series by the National Academies will explore social factors causing maternal health disparities, focusing on marginalized communities and trust-building.
Funder: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Due Dates: No current due dates (webinar series held May-June 2024)
Funding Amounts: Not a funding grant; a public webinar series with internal support
Summary: A 5-part public webinar series exploring social determinants of maternal health disparities affecting historically marginalized communities.
Key Information: Focuses on mental health, doulas, implicit bias, community-based care, active-duty servicewomen, and trust-building in maternal health.
Description
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Standing Committee on Reproductive Health, Equity, and Society, supported by the Global Forum on Innovation in Health Professional Education, organized a 5-part public webinar series titled Maternal Health Disparities: The Women Behind the Data. This series aimed to increase awareness and promote dialogue on maternal health disparities framed by social determinants of health.
The webinars brought together healthcare providers, researchers, and academicians to share data and lived experiences of pregnant persons from historically marginalized communities. Key discussion topics included:
- Mental health needs of pregnant women in underserved communities and the role of doulas in providing support and access to formal mental health services.
- Innovative community-based organizations and care models supporting historically marginalized pregnant women.
- Maternal health outcomes and disparities among active-duty servicewomen.
- Awareness of micro-aggressions and implicit bias among maternal health providers and educators.
- Strategies for building trust between healthcare systems and historically marginalized pregnant women.
Following the series, a proceedings-in-brief document was produced by a designated rapporteur to summarize the presentations and discussions.
