MAY 20, 2024; LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas had the highest rate of maternal mortality in the U.S. from 2018-2021, according to the CDC. A Kaiser Family Foundation report from 2023 said that 44 mothers died for every 100,000 life births in Arkansas between 2018–2021. While the maternal mortality rate in other high-income countries has decreased from 1999–2019, the U.S. rate has increased.
Even more alarming is the fact that around 92% of those Arkansas deaths were preventable, according to a report from the Arkansas Maternal Mortality Review Committee.
These harrowing stats have prompted Arkansas legislation to take action against maternal mortality. On Thursday, May 2, AFMC’s Medicaid quality improvement team joined several local businesses and state legislators to kick off a Month of May (MOM) event celebrating Women’s Health Month and raising awareness for Arkansas’ recent maternal health initiatives. In March, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed an executive order to “support moms, protect babies, and improve maternal health.”
This order created the Arkansas Strategic Committee for Maternal Health, which included key state stakeholders and several members of the Arkansas Department of Health and the Arkansas Department of Human Services. The committee will work with lawmakers, healthcare providers, and advocacy groups to develop a statewide maternal health plan and recommend budget and policy changes to address maternal mortality.
The order also includes responsibilities for the state departments of Health, Human Services, and Arkansas Surgeon General Kay Chandler to enroll people in available health coverage, create an advertising campaign, and identify strategies to expand telehealth, home visiting, and doulas.
The MOM event is one way to celebrate recent planning and commitment to improving maternal health outcomes. The MOM event aimed to raise awareness about women’s health initiatives and encourage women and other community members to improve their health.
Senator Missy Irvin, Representative Mary Bentley, and members of the Arkansas Strategic Committee for Maternal Health kicked off the event. Women who attended from multiple areas of the state received a “health journal” they could present to local vendors and small businesses to receive discounts, merchandise, and supplies that promoted good health.
AFMC hosted a booth at the event where attendees could receive informative resources on maternal mortality, breastfeeding, Arkansas’ child Medicaid program ARKids, and other healthcare-related information housed in our online Resource Library.
