Report reveals HHS needs to better track progress of efforts to address maternal deaths Action News Jax [Video]

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Having a baby is supposed to be a joyous time for parents, but for hundreds of families every year in the U.S., it turns to tragedy because of complications.

Charles Johnson’s wife Kira died from internal bleeding after having a C-section in 2016.

“The thought that my wife would not walk out to raise her boys, it never crossed my mind,” said Johnson.

U.S. maternal mortality rates are worse than any other high-income country, according to a new report.

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The findings from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) reveal the problem got even worse during the pandemic, with Black women disproportionately affected.

It says Black women were about 2.5 times more likely to die from maternal health problems compared to white women during the pandemic.

“The U.S. faces a maternal mortality crisis,” said Karen Doran, an Assistant Director in the Health Care Team for GAO.

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