Advocates aim for turning point in black maternal health this election

Vice President Kamala Harris arrives to speak during her visit to a Planned Parenthood clinic in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on March 14, 2024.—AFP November 5 election is being used by advocates to to raise awareness about reproductive health disparities that affect Black women, such as increased incidence of pregnancy and delivery complications and deaths, as well as higher rates of certain cancers. Democratic candidate Kamala Harris emphasised abortion rights as a key tenet of her campaign and, during appearances, accused Republican Donald Trump of being responsible for the deaths of two young Black moms in Georgia, a state that restricts abortion. While public opinion surveys rank inflation and the economy as top priorities for Black women, Reuters spoke to 10 activist groups that said they were aiming to mobilise women of colour around issues of systemic health care inequities.  The effort is part of a 30-year-old movement for “reproductive justice.” Such concerns go beyond abortion rights, an issue that has galvanised women since the US Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to an abortion in 2022. Pregnancy complications Black women in the US also face greater risks bearing children. They are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes...