Maternal health is a burning issue in America and has been for decades. In a special episode of the Baby, This is Keke Palmer podcast, Keke Palmer took a trip to the White House to sit down with Vice President Kamala Harris to discuss the maternal health crisis in America and talk about some ways that listeners can help the cause.
LISTEN NOW: Baby, This is Keke Palmer - Vice President Kamala Harris on the Maternal Health Crisis - Baby, This is Keke Palmer
VP Harris admitted that she has spent the majority of her career focusing on the health, safety and wellbeing of women and children, so it's no question that she is very passionate about the issue. "On the issue of the maternal health care crisis, it is truly a health care crisis in America, in that we are one of the richest countries in the world, if not the richest and we have one of the highest rates of maternal mortality in the world," Madam VP said.
But at the root of this crisis-- is Black women who statistically suffer the most, "when you look closely at the issue, Black women are three times more likely to die in connection with child birth than other women," she added.
What is at the root of these health disparities, Keke wondered? Kamala believes there are a lot of factors as to why Black women suffer so harshly when it comes to the healthcare system and maternal care. She believes "one of the biggest has to do with the fact that she is a Black woman, and when she walks into that hospital, that clinic, or that doctor's office, she is not taken seriously," Harris said. Black women, regardless of economic class or educational achievement, can walk into a doctor's office and be completely disregarded.
Another factor Kamala touches on is the lack of accessibility when it comes to seeking care, from transportation to even finding quality healthcare providers. "For example, you look at so many of our women who are in the south and in particular rural areas in the south and healthcare deserts... Texas and Oklahoma are two examples of other areas where in half the counties of Texas and Oklahoma they don't even have one OBGYN," Harris said.
"The bottom line is that these women should not be dying," Harris said, and she continues to dedicate her time to helping fight this crisis. "A lot of the work that I've done even when I was in the Senate, was about saying what we need to do to train healthcare professionals to understand racial bias."
Madam VP urges Black women to "require that they answer your questions, and know you have every right to ask any question that is on your mind... it's their job to answer your questions."
Listen to the full podcast episode above for their full conversation where they discuss the importance of voting and how it relates to women taking back autonomy over their bodies.
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