Efforts to Reduce Black Maternal Deaths in North Carolina Face New Challenges Amid Federal Funding Cuts

North Carolina's multi-year efforts to reduce the disproportionately high rate of Black maternal deaths face serious new obstacles following the Trump administration's cancellation of grants studying maternal health as part of a broader effort to eliminate DEI programs. Community organizations such as MAAME (Mothers And Midwives Advocating for Equity) have been forced to reduce local services due to the funding cuts. Public health experts warn that the rollback threatens years of progress in addressing one of the most severe racial health disparities in the United States, where Black women die from pregnancy-related causes at nearly three times the rate of white women.