MAMA Academy Urges Improvements in Maternity Care and Targeted Action to Address Maternal Death Disparities Following New MBRRACE-UK Report

MAMA Academy is calling for urgent reforms and targeted action in response to the latest findings from the Saving Lives, Improving Mothers’ Care 2024 report, published by MBRRACE-UK. The report reveals alarming increases in maternal deaths and persistent disparities in health outcomes, with Black, Asian, and socioeconomically disadvantaged women continuing to face disproportionate risks during and after pregnancy.

While the UK remains a relatively safe place to give birth by global standards, the report highlights worrying trends in maternal mortality and health outcomes for vulnerable women. MAMA Academy believes this is a wake-up call for both policymakers and healthcare providers to tackle the deep-rooted inequalities that continue to put mothers’ lives at risk.

To support mothers, MAMA Academy offers a Pregnancy Information Hub on our website, providing expectant parents with evidence-based guidance on safer pregnancies, recognising symptoms of complications, and accessing maternity care services, with dedicated information for Black and Brown parents. All of which is available in over 100 languages.

Key Findings of Concern:

– Between 2020 and 2022, 275 women died during pregnancy or within six weeks of giving birth, while 329 women died between six weeks and one year after pregnancy.

– The leading causes of death within six weeks postpartum were thrombosis and thromboembolism (blood clots), COVID-19, and heart disease, with poor mental health and substance use being the primary causes of death later in the postpartum period.

– Women from Black ethnic backgrounds are nearly three times more likely to die, and women from Asian ethnic backgrounds are almost twice as likely to die compared to their White counterparts.

– Women in the most deprived areas are more than twice as likely to die compared to those in the least deprived areas.

MAMA Academy is deeply concerned about the sharp rise in maternal deaths, even when COVID-19-related fatalities are excluded. We are particularly troubled by the inequalities that continue to affect women from minority ethnic backgrounds and those living in poverty.

Urgent Action Required

The report emphasises the need to address social determinants of health and to provide culturally sensitive, individualised care. MAMA Academy supports these recommendations and stresses that improving maternity care is essential to reducing avoidable deaths and saving lives.

“This report shines a light on the ongoing inequalities faced by women during pregnancy and postpartum care, particularly women from Black and Asian communities and those living in deprived areas,” said Heidi Eldridge, CEO of MAMA Academy.

“These women are not just statistics; they are mothers, daughters, and members of our communities. We cannot allow these disparities to continue. Action must be taken now to ensure every woman, regardless of her background, has access to safe, compassionate, and equitable maternity care.”

Equity Over Equality in Care

The findings of the report underline the need to focus on equity rather than equality in maternity care. Women with complex social challenges, including those living in poverty, may face difficulties attending appointments and accessing services. Solutions like offering longer appointments, aligning multiple appointments, and discussing appointment timing with women and their families can help overcome these barriers.

To help women navigate the healthcare system, MAMA Academy has developed a Antenatal Appointments guide available on our website, to assist women in understanding the importance of each stage of care. This guide helps women plan appointments effectively and ensures they know what questions to ask healthcare professionals during visits. This resource is again available in over 100 languages.

Supporting Women in Their Right to Access Care

MAMA Academy strongly supports the report’s call to ensure all women, including migrant women, are fully informed about their rights to access maternity care. No woman should ever be discouraged from seeking essential, life-saving care due to concerns about cost or immigration status.

Heidi Eldridge, CEO of MAMA Academy, emphasised, “Every woman deserves to understand how to access maternity services and provide informed consent, regardless of the language they speak or their background.”

MAMA Academy aims to provides every women, including migrant women, with information about their healthcare rights and how to access services, as well as advice on finding multilingual support if needed in a language they understand. Our goal is to remove any barriers preventing women from receiving the care they need.

At MAMA Academy, our mission is to support women in achieving safer pregnancies, and this report reminds us of the urgent need to address inequalities within our maternity system. Every woman deserves to receive the best possible care during pregnancy, and no mother should die from preventable causes.

We encourage expectant mothers and healthcare professionals to explore the range of Safer Pregnancy Resources available on our website, from educational leaflets to interactive tools, to help prevent stillbirths and other complications.

We stand ready to work with healthcare providers, government bodies, and communities to ensure that the recommendations from this report are implemented swiftly and effectively.