Reducing Maternal Mortality in the United States

Did you know that an estimated 700 women die of pregnancy-related causes each year in the United States? Unfortunately, this is a real statistic. The good news is that many of these deaths can be prevented. 

Strong, accurate data are critical for identifying opportunities for preventing deaths among mothers and designing effective interventions. To help address this need, the CDC Foundation announced a new collaboration today with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs to produce stronger data than ever before and foster collaboration that can lead to effective interventions. Funding for the collaboration was provided through an award agreement with Merck on behalf of its Merck for Mothers program.

One critically important outcome of this project will be a standard data-collection and analysis tool, called the Maternal Mortality Review Data System. This tool will include resources to help local experts navigate the critical next step of using the data to identify prevention opportunities. 

We appreciate the support of Merck on behalf of its Merck for Mothers program for this program, and we are committed to working with CDC to help reduce maternal mortality in the United States.