HHS to spend $568 million to improve maternal health outcomes

Aug. 27 (UPI) -- The Department of Health and Human Services on Tuesday announced more than $568 million in funding for efforts to improve maternal health.

The Health Resources and Services Administration will award $440 million to expand voluntary, evidence-based maternal, infant and early childhood home visiting services for eligible families while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will spend 5 million over five years to improve public health infrastructure to identify and prevent pregnancy-related deaths in 46 states and six territories, HHS said in a statement.

"Bringing home a baby can be stressful," HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said. "Many new parents face additional challenges such as housing, or income insecurity, which can make a whole situation even more daunting.

"We know from decades of research that home visits work -- from helping with school readiness and achievement for children to improving health for women."

The funding announced Tuesday is part of the White House Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis, which was announced last month.

The White House said at the time the United States had one of the highest maternal mortality rates of any wealthy country in the world, with significant numbers in the Black and Native American communities along with women living in rural areas.

Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for president, said she believes it's important to address protecting women "before, during and after childbirth."

"That is why I called on states to extend Medicaid postpartum coverage from two months to 12 months and announced the launch of the White House Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis, an unprecedented whole-of-government strategy to improve maternal care."