Maternal health in the US can be improved and maternal mortality can be prevented

But politicians and doctor organizations oppose reasonable solutions

Why Are U.S. Mothers Still Dying?

I’ve spent decades working in maternal health, and I can say this plainly: maternal mortality in the United States is a national disgrace. Our rates are several times higher than those of other advanced countries, despite our vast resources and medical technology.

This crisis isn’t new. What’s worse is that it’s preventable.

Universal health care—publicly funded, accessible to all—has consistently been linked to lower maternal mortality in countries like Canada, France, and the Netherlands. They treat pregnancy as a public health priority. We treat it as a market transaction.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth: many U.S. politicians oppose universal coverage. So does the AMA. So do far too many doctors. Why? Often because they fear loss of income or professional autonomy. In that resistance, they become complicit in the suffering and deaths of American mothers.

We could save them. We just choose not to.

Until we confront that truth, and demand a system that values life over profit, the U.S. will remain the most dangerous wealthy country to give birth in.