 HHS Outlines New Plans and a Partnership to Reduce U.S. Pregnancy-related Deaths Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released an important HHS Action Plan - PDF and announced a partnership to reduce maternal deaths and disparities that put women at risk prior to, during, and following pregnancy. The U.S. Surgeon General Jerome M. Adams issued a complementary Call to Action to Improve Maternal Health - PDF outlining the critical roles everyone can play to improve maternal health. Approximately 700 women die each year in the United States as a result of pregnancy-related complications. In addition, every year more than 25,000 women suffer unintended outcomes of labor and delivery that can result in significant short- or long-term consequences to their health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that two out of three pregnancy-related deaths are preventable. "Maternal mortality should be a 'never' event," said HHS Secretary Alex Azar. "We now have laid out a plan for all Americans to work together to cut maternal deaths dramatically and improve the long-term health of mothers and their children." "The health of our nation depends on the health of our mothers, and making the U.S. the safest place in the world to give birth is one of my top priorities," said Vice Adm. Jerome M. Adams, Surgeon General. "A mother or mother-to-be dies every 12 hours in the U.S. These tragedies are unacceptable. We cannot truly improve maternal health — until we acknowledge and address the disparate outcomes many women of color face." "Protecting mothers is a national priority. These new initiatives will help us to support the long-term health of mothers and babies and ensure the U.S. is one of the safest countries in the world for women to give birth," said HHS Deputy Assistant Secretary for Women's Health and Director of the Office on Women's Health, Dorothy Fink. | 
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