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Expectancy is one of the most beautiful stages in family life. For newlyweds preparing to welcome their first child, or for parents getting ready for a second, third, or even fourth baby, it carries a special kind of joy that fills the home with hope. It is a season marked by love, planning, and the quiet excitement of knowing that a new life is on the way.
It is also a time when preparations become part of the celebration. Families begin making room in their hearts and homes, conversations grow more tender, and the anticipation becomes impossible to hide. Between choosing names and setting things in place, every detail reflects the happiness of the moment and the joy that comes with waiting. But unfortunately, this anticipated joy is sometimes met with sadness.
Over the years, conversations about maternal health have taken on renewed urgency among healthcare institutions, women’s groups, and community advocacy organizations. Many are advocating for stronger policies that ensure maternal health for Black women and babies receives the attention and priority it deserves. Yet, behind this growing awareness lies a sobering reality: Black women face disproportionately high risks during pregnancy and childbirth. At the heart of this troubling reality are systemic inequities that continue to shape healthcare access and outcomes.
Maternal health conversations increasingly recognize that improving outcomes for mothers and newborns requires more than better hospitals or additional medical personnel. It demands confronting the deeper structural factors that influence how healthcare is delivered and experienced.
Across developed countries, maternal mortality rates have declined over the past several decades due to advances in medical care and public health interventions. However, these improvements have not been shared equally, particularly across Africa and other developing regions.
Even within advanced healthcare systems, disparities persist. In places like the United States, Black women are significantly more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than their white counterparts. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Black women are nearly three times more likely to experience maternal mortality compared to white women, regardless of income or education levels.
An article published by the National Library of Medicine titled Black Maternal Mortality: The Elephant in the Room highlights the rising incidence of maternal mortality affecting Black women in the United States. While identifying several contributing factors, one of the most striking issues is the role of racial bias within healthcare systems.
The article notes that “racial bias of providers and perceived racial discrimination from patients impacts Black patients’ trust in their providers and the medical community at large.” It further emphasizes that reducing Black maternal mortality requires a multi-tiered approach involving patients, healthcare providers, and public health policy.
Beyond medical advancements, systemic issues within healthcare delivery, such as racial bias, unequal quality of care, and structural inequities, continue to shape how Black women are treated during pregnancy and childbirth. Far too often, the symptoms and concerns of Black mothers are dismissed or minimized, leading to delayed diagnoses and treatment.
Ensuring that Black mothers receive equal attention in clinical settings would significantly improve maternal health outcomes for both mothers and their babies.
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Improving Maternal Health Outcomes
Maternal health outcomes for Black women are also influenced by a complex combination of social, economic, and environmental factors. While developed nations grapple with issues such as racial bias and disparities in healthcare access, many African countries face a different set of structural challenges. These include economic instability, housing conditions, access to nutritious food, environmental exposures, and limited healthcare infrastructure.
According to a report by MSD for Mothers titled Improving Maternal Health Across Africa: Highlights of Current Maternity Care Needs in the Region, the World Health Organization estimates that global maternal mortality declined by approximately 34 percent between 2000 and 2020. However, sub-Saharan Africa continues to account for nearly 70 percent of all maternal deaths worldwide.
With maternal mortality persisting at such unacceptably high levels in the region, numerous factors continue to challenge progress. Limited access to quality healthcare, under-resourced medical facilities, socioeconomic barriers, and insufficient public awareness surrounding maternal health. Chronic stress arising from the economic and social realities faced by many families across the continent can increase vulnerability to pregnancy complications such as hypertension, preeclampsia, and premature birth.
For many Black women in Africa, these challenges are part of everyday life. When healthcare access becomes inconsistent or fragmented, the risk of complications rises significantly. This is why strong policy direction becomes essential.
Encouragingly, some African countries are beginning to take meaningful steps toward improving maternal health outcomes. Cameroon, for example, recently launched its five-year National Strategy on Reproductive, Maternal, Child, Adolescent, and Nutrition Health (RMNCAH-Nut). With support from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and other partners, the country aims to align its health priorities with Sustainable Development Goal 3, which seeks to reduce maternal mortality and improve maternal healthcare services. The strategy focuses on strengthening data systems, improving healthcare coordination, and enhancing policy implementation among stakeholders.
In the Central African Republic, one of the countries with the highest maternal mortality rates in the world, efforts are being made to expand access to quality maternal care through community-based interventions. A World Health Organization report titled Community Midwives Help to Lower Maternal Deaths in the Central African Republic highlights how community midwives are being trained and deployed to support maternal healthcare.
According to the report, “with WHO’s support and funding from a major donor, the government has taken strong measures to improve maternal health. One of the cornerstones of the approach to curb maternal mortality is training and deploying community midwives.” Chosen directly from their communities, these midwives serve as vital links between families and healthcare facilities. They inform, accompany, and guide pregnant women throughout their pregnancies and ensure proper postnatal follow-up.
Community-based care models such as these are increasingly demonstrating promising results. Programs that integrate doulas, midwives, culturally competent healthcare providers, and community health workers are helping bridge long-standing gaps in maternal care.
Ultimately, improving maternal health outcomes across Africa and other developing regions requires sustained investment not only in healthcare systems but also in the broader social infrastructure that supports families. This includes housing stability, workplace protections, education, and accessible community health services.
Okechukwu Nzeribe works with the Onitsha Chamber of Commerce, in Anambra State, Nigeria, and loves unveiling the richness of African cultures. okechukwu.onicima@gmail.com
