USA— Women and girls of African descent worldwide endure a persistent pattern of racial abuse within the healthcare sector, placing them at a heightened risk of maternal mortality, according to a report released by the United Nations’ sexual and reproductive health agency.
The study drew upon data from various countries including Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Panama, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, the United States, and Uruguay.
It revealed that structural racism and sexism contribute to maternal health disparities, transcending income levels and national borders.
Natalia Kanem, Executive Director of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), emphasized the lasting impact of racism on Afrodescendent women and girls, many of whom are descendants of enslaved individuals.
She stated that these individuals often face mistreatment, neglect, and the tragic loss of loved ones during childbirth.
Kanem stressed the urgent need for healthcare systems to recognize and provide respectful, compassionate care to these women in order to achieve justice and equality.
UNFPA highlighted the mistreatment experienced by Afrodescendent women when accessing healthcare, ranging from verbal and physical abuse to the denial of quality care and pain relief.
As a result, Black women face increased complications during pregnancy and delayed health interventions, “which too often result in death,” the report said.
The report, titled “Maternal Health of Women and Girls of African Descent in the Americas,” was developed in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organization, the National Birth Equity Collaborative, and UN agencies UNICEF and UN-Women.
It also shed light on the disproportionate mistreatment faced by Afrodescendants in healthcare settings, stemming from unscientific, racist, and deeply rooted beliefs originating from the era of slavery.
Addressing these systemic issues requires not only challenging and eliminating racial biases but also promoting diversity within the healthcare profession.
Research has shown that the presence of Black physicians can offer Black patients a sense of safety, validation, and trust, combating racism, discrimination, and unconscious bias that persist within the healthcare system.
In the United States, Black women are three times more likely to die after giving birth than white women, underscoring the stark impact of systemic racism on maternal health outcomes.
The wake of George Floyd’s death in 2020 triggered a broader examination of racial injustices in various sectors, including medical education.
Medical schools have since taken steps to reassess their history and policies regarding race, incorporating anti-racism training into their curricula.
Furthermore, efforts to increase diversity among medical professionals are underway, with initiatives like mentorship programs and partnerships with historically Black universities aiming to create pathways for underrepresented students to pursue careers in medicine.
Disparity ‘most extreme’ in the US
According to the UNFPA report, the United States stands out as the epicenter of this inequality.
The report reveals that Black women and girls in the US are three times more likely to experience maternal death during childbirth or within six weeks postpartum compared to non-Afrodescendent and non-Hispanic women.
Disturbingly, these disparities persist irrespective of income and education levels, as even African American college graduates face maternal mortality rates 1.6 times higher than white women with less than a high school diploma.
The issue extends beyond the US borders. In the broader Americas region, which is home to an estimated 209 million people of African descent, a mere 11 out of 35 countries collect maternal health data disaggregated by race.
This lack of comprehensive data hampers efforts to understand the unique challenges faced by Afrodescendent women and girls, perpetuating the cycle of inequality and impeding targeted interventions.
To rectify this dire situation and save lives, the UNFPA emphasizes the urgent need for governments to collect and analyze robust health data that breaks down statistics by race and ethnicity.
This data is crucial for identifying the root causes of disparities and formulating evidence-based policies and interventions to address them effectively.
In addition, the report calls for an immediate response from medical schools to confront and dismantle racist ideologies embedded within their training curricula.
By actively challenging deep-rooted biases and fostering cultural sensitivity, medical education can play a pivotal role in dismantling systemic racism and ensuring equitable and compassionate care for all individuals, regardless of their racial or ethnic background.
Hospitals, too, bear a significant responsibility in this pursuit of equity. The report urges hospitals to establish and enforce policies that unequivocally prohibit physical and verbal abuse, safeguarding the rights and dignity of Afrodescendent women and girls.
Through such policies, healthcare institutions can create an environment where respectful and empathetic care is provided to every patient, regardless of their racial or ethnic identity.
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