,,iii #aaith ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 ,,res4 #cb ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,january #bc1 #bjbe,mr4 ,booker 7for himself1 ,mrs4 ,britt1 ,ms4 ,rosen1 ,mr4 ,welch1 ,mr4 ,hickenlooper1 ,mr4 ,lujn1 ,mr4 ,wyden1 and ,mr4 ,van ,hollen7 submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on the ,judiciary ,,resolution ,designating ,january #bc1 #bjbe1 as ,maternal ,health ,awareness ,day4 ,whereas each year in the ,united ,states1 approximately #hjj women die as a result of complications related to pregnancy and childbirth2 ,whereas the pregnancy-related mortality ratio1 defined as the number of pregnancy-related deaths per #ajj1jjj live births1 more than quadrupled in the ,united ,states between #aihg and #bjba2 ,whereas1 according to the ,united ,nations ,maternal ,mortality ,estimation ,inter-,agency ,group1 the ,united ,states is one of the only countries in the world with a significant percentage increase in the maternal mortality in #bjbj2 ,whereas1 of all pregnancy-related deaths that occurred in the ,united ,states in #bjbj-- 7#a7 approximately #be4g percent occurred during pregnancy2 7#b7 approximately #aa4a percent occurred during childbirth2 7#c7 approximately #af4b percent occurred #a to #f days postpartum2 7#d7 approximately #bj4b percent occurred #g to #db days postpartum2 and 7#e7 approximately #bf4i percent occurred between #dc days and #a year postpartum4 ,whereas #hc4e percent of pregnancy-related deaths in the ,united ,states are considered preventable2 ,whereas1 each year1 as many as #fj1jjj women in the ,united ,states suffer from a severe maternal morbidity1 which includes unexpected outcomes of labor and delivery that can result in significant short- and long-term health consequences2 ,whereas1 approximately #bj percent of mothers who give birth in the ,united ,states report experiencing mistreatment2 ,whereas postpartum depression affects a significant percentage of new mothers who give birth1 with estimates ranging from #aj to #bj percent of mothers who give birth experiencing depressive symptoms during the first year after childbirth1 but many postpartum depression cases go undiagnosed and untreated1 often due to a lack of screening2 ,whereas various social and systemic factors can influence maternal health outcomes and contribute to disparities in care2 ,whereas significant disparities in maternal health outcomes exist in the ,united ,states1 including that-- 7#a7 the pregnancy-related mortality ratio for ,black women is nearly #c times higher than that of ,white women2 7#b7 the pregnancy-related mortality ratio for ,american ,indian and ,alaska ,native women is more than twice as high as ,white women2 7#c7 the pregnancy-related mortality ratio for ,black1 ,american ,indian1 and ,alaska ,native women with at least some college education is higher compared to women of all other racial and ethnic backgrounds with less than a high school diploma2 7#d7 the rate of severe maternal morbidity for ,black and ,asian-,pacific ,islander women is approximately twice as high as the rate for ,white women2 7#e7 women who live in rural areas have a greater rate of severe maternal morbidity and mortality compared to women who live in urban areas2 7#f7 #ei percent of rural counties are considered a maternity care desert2 7#g7 rural counties with more ,black and ,hispanic residents and lower median incomes are less likely to have access to hospital obstetric services2 7#h7 the average travel distance for maternity care deserts and rural counties is #bh4a and #ag4c miles1 respectively2 and 7#i7 ,american ,indian and ,alaska ,native women living in rural communities are more than twice as likely as their ,white counterparts to report receiving late or no prenatal care2 ,whereas #dg ,states and the ,district of ,columbia have adopted the option to extend coverage for postpartum care under ,medicaid to #ab months2 ,whereas #di ,states1 the ,district of ,columbia1 ,new ,york ,city1 ,philadelphia1 and ,puerto ,rico each have a formal maternal mortality review committee or legal requirement to review pregnancy-related deaths2 ,whereas ,state and local maternal mortality review committees are positioned to comprehensively assess maternal deaths and identify opportunities for prevention2 ,whereas #di ,states and the ,district of ,columbia are participating in the ,alliance for ,innovation on ,maternal ,health1 which promotes consistent and safe maternity care to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality2 ,whereas community-based maternal health care models1 including midwifery childbirth services1 doula support services1 community and perinatal health worker services1 and group prenatal care1 in collaboration with culturally competent physician care1 show great promise in improving maternal health outcomes and reducing disparities in maternal health outcomes2 ,whereas increasing the maternal health care workforce and expanding telehealth services can help reduce the disparities in maternal health outcomes2 ,whereas many organizations have implemented initiatives to educate patients and providers about-- 7#a7 all causes of1 contributing factors to1 and disparities in maternal mortality2 7#b7 the prevention of pregnancy-related deaths2 and 7#c7 the importance of listening to and empowering all people to report pregnancy-related medical issues2 and ,whereas several ,states1 communities1 and organizations recognize ,january #bc as ,maternal ,health ,awareness ,day to raise awareness about maternal health and promote maternal safety3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,senate-- 7#a7 designates ,january #bc1 #bjbe1 as ,maternal ,health ,awareness ,day2 7#b7 supports the goals and ideals of ,maternal ,health ,awareness ,day1 including-- 7,a7 raising public awareness about maternal mortality1 maternal morbidity1 and disparities in maternal health outcomes2 and 7,b7 encouraging the ,federal ,government1 ,states1 territories1 ,tribes1 local communities1 public health organizations1 physicians1 health care providers1 and others to take action to reduce adverse maternal health outcomes and improve maternal safety2 7#c7 promotes initiatives-- 7,a7 to address and eliminate disparities in maternal health outcomes2 and 7,b7 to ensure respectful and equitable maternity care practices2 7#d7 honors those who have passed away as a result of pregnancy-related causes2 and 7#e7 supports and recognizes the need for meaningful investments in efforts to improve maternal health1 eliminate disparities in maternal health outcomes1 and promote respectful and equitable maternity care practices4