Uncertain Future for Black Maternal Health Efforts Under Trump Administration

A Struggle for Equity: DEI in Healthcare

The Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives has raised significant concerns among public health researchers. These changes are feared to potentially disrupt ongoing attempts to address the elevated mortality rates among Black mothers in the U.S.

Why This Matters

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted pre-existing inequities in health care. Notably, the pregnancy-related death rate for Black women in the U.S. is over three times that of white women, with about 80% of these deaths being preventable.

• Research efforts focus on preventing complications such as postpartum hemorrhage, a leading cause of maternal deaths among Black women.

Current State of Play

The fear is that President Trump’s executive order could derail strides made in early diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of pregnancy complications. Additionally, recent removal of federal health datasets has left providers and researchers in a state of uncertainty.

• Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha, a researcher at Tufts University reliant on NIH grants, voices concerns over disruptions in her research on maternal health disparities.
• “If it gets reviewed, is it going to be reviewed competitively?” she questions, worried about the viability of her funding.

Institutional Responses

The Health and Human Services Department did not comment on these concerns. However, the CDC does host a webpage on strategies to reduce Black maternal mortality, suggesting potential avenues for ongoing advocacy and research.

Impact on Black Medical Professionals

Scrapping DEI initiatives threatens to stifle opportunities for Black professionals in the medical community. Evidence suggests improved patient outcomes when there is shared racial or ethnic identity between healthcare providers and patients.

• Jamila Taylor from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research emphasizes that increased discrimination will only deepen existing health disparities.

Analyzing Latest Data

New CDC data reveals that in 2023, 50.3 Black mothers died out of every 100,000 live births—a stark contrast to the figures for white, Hispanic, and Asian mothers. This trend is a single racial group’s anomaly, showing an increase in maternal mortality.

The Biden Administration Efforts

Prior to the change in administration, significant resources were dedicated to addressing these racial disparities in maternal health. However, more time is needed for these new funding sources and coverage expansions to effect change.

• The Biden administration’s maternal health action plan, which was accessible on the White House website, has gone offline since Trump’s inauguration.
• “It’s going to take more than two or three years to fix it,” says LaTasha Seliby Perkins from Georgetown University.

Future Prospects

HHS Secretary-designate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has committed to addressing maternal mortality but hesitates to endorse interventions targeting racial disparities. His statements suggest a general approach to improving maternal health outcomes.

• Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester inquires if Kennedy views these interventions as “health DEI programs,” to which he remains noncommittal.
• Kennedy promises to “examine and address the drivers of maternal morbidity and mortality.”

The Bottom Line

“There’s not a lot that I can say with confidence right now,” states Amutah-Onukagha, while maintaining hope in the resilience of those advocating for change within disrupted systems. Despite challenges, there’s determination from professionals to push through and seek equity in maternal health.

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Source: https://www.axios.com/2025/02/13/black-mothers-health-mortality-rate-trump