Did you know that, 65% of all pregnancy related deaths are preventable? 90% of deaths related to pregnancy related hemorrhages are preventable and that black women are 243% more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications. In today’s episode we are joined by Dr. Amutah-Onukagha, the Julia A. Okoro Professor of Black Maternal Health in the Department of Public Health and Community Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine. Dr. Amutah currently researches maternal health disparities, reproductive health and social justice, infant mortality, and HIV/AIDs in Black women.

Dr. Amutah is a best-selling author with over 45 manuscripts, 5 book chapters, and a textbook on culturally responsive evaluation, also serves on the editorial board for the Journal of Women’s Health Issues. She is a TedX speaker—her work has been featured in The Atlantic and The Lancet. Dr. Amutah is the Founder and Director of the Maternal Outcomes for Translational Health Equity Research Lab, (MOTHER), a lab that has 35 students ranging from undergrad to postdoc with the goal of adressing maternal health disparities as experienced by Black women.

Key Takeaways:

• [00:03:08] The controversy surrounding The Royal Family’s trip to the Caribbean countries.
• [00:07:35] Welcome Dr. Amutah to the show.
• [00:11:15] Dr. Amutah shares her Ted talk on how the system is broken and how healthcare and racism impact maternal health.
• [00:11:55] The latest data from CDC shows that our rates for preventable deaths are getting worse and the inequity gap is getting wider.
• [00:12:20] Dr. Amutah’s personal experience with loss and how it has shaped her trajectory.
• [00:13:54] How the assignment on your life is bigger than you and that no matter what you are doing, your calling will always pull you back in.
• [00:15:00] Why Dr. Amutah’s job in the healthcare industry is to hold it accountable and to train the next generation.
• [00:17:44] The most important decision that you can ever make is who you trust with your care.
• [00:23:29] The importance of having a support network and why having a doula should be a must for every pregnancy.
• [00:27:22] Dr. Amutah discuss her research study, Be A Mom Study and how important it is to find community led solutions to medical needs.
• [00:29:00] Black Maternal Health Week and why it is important that there are more black midwives in the field.
• [00:31:17] Dr. Amutah discusses actionable steps to change the current maternal mortality statics.
• [00:35:10] Is it possible to untrain racism and biases with culturally competent trainings?
• [00:42:40] How we can hold the world accountable for black maternal health. Why it is important to be selective with who we vote into power and why it is important that more black women are elected into leadership positions.
• [00:49:25] Why you have to be intentional about carving out time for yourself and the importance of self-care.

Links mentioned: Black Mothers Matter Tufts