In the US, every 12 hours a woman dies due to complications resulting from pregnancy. Additionally, 2 babies die each day. According to data from the national center for health statistics the maternal mortality rate for 2021 was 32.9 deaths per 100,000 live births, compared with a rate of 23.8 in 2020 and 20.1 in 2019.  In 2021, the maternal mortality rate for non-Hispanic Black women was 69.9 deaths per 100,000 live births, 2.6 times the rate for non-Hispanic White women (26.6) Rates for Black women were significantly higher than rates for White and Hispanic women. The increases from 2020 to 2021 for all race and Hispanic-origin groups were significant. In 2024 the U.S. remains among the most dangerous developed nations for a woman to give birth.

In this podcast series we are focusing on first expounding the problem of maternal mortality within the US and on stating the nature of the problem. We are speaking with experts throughout the country.  We are then going to ask why this remains such a persistent problem and look to how we can alleviate it.  We will ask what has been tried, where money has been spent.  We will see what has failed, and what continues to fail to serve women throughout the country. We will explore what has been proven to make a difference in alleviating this problem, and will ask what advances in digital health can bring.

Finally, we will look around the world at solutions that have worked there to lead to a better outcome for mothers and babies.

In this part 1 of the series we will explore the problem, through storytelling, on the ground insights and lived experience. We hear from Maneesha Ghiya, the founder of FemHealth Ventures about her own birth experience that prompted a career-long devotion to women’s health issues, as well as Yele Aluko, EY Americas Chief Medical Officer, director of the EY Center for Health Equity, Adonica Shaw, CEO and Founder of My Wing Women, an online community and resource center for women relating to reproductive and other health issues. Maura Rosenfeld, founder of digital health innovator – MindUp, provides her insights on the innovations and technology that can move the needle in alleviating this problem.

This podcast is brought to you by Fiftyfaces Productions Limited.  Fiftyfaces Productions Limited was founded in 2020 as a media company committed to amplifying diverse voices across a wide range of professions starting with finance and investment.  Our mission is to highlight ideas and debate them, tear down stereotypes and ventilate a broad range of views. We believe that you can’t be what you can’t see and that you won’t see what you don’t support and amplify. In 2024 we are committed to ensuring progress towards the following UN SDGs:

⛰️SDG 3 Good Health and Wellbeing
⛰️SDG 4 Quality Education
⛰️SDG 5 Gender Equality
⛰️SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth
⛰️SDG 9 Industry Innovation and Infrastructure
⛰️SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities
⛰️SDG 13 Climate Action

This podcast series is part of our mission to spread awareness of women’s health issues and to further SDG 3, 4, 5 and 10.