Several reports have Georgia ranked as the worst in the nation, others have Georgia second behind Louisiana. Either way, leadership in the Georgia House of Representatives wants to tackle the issue.
House Speaker David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge) recently announced the members of the House Study Committee on Maternal Mortality, a direct result of House Resolution 589 which was adopted in the 2019 legislative session.
“Georgia simply cannot continue to have one of the nation’s worst rates of maternal mortality,” said Speaker Ralston. “This is an issue which impacts all Georgians and demands a fact-based approach to problem-solving. I look forward to the study committee’s findings and recommendations which will be considered in the 2020 legislative session.”
Maternal mortality rates reflect the number per 100,000 live births of women who died during pregnancy or childbirth or in the weeks afterward.
Eight years ago, the human rights organization Amnesty International declared a “maternal health care crisis in the U.S.A.” and said worst of all was the state of Georgia.
In July 2018, a USA Today investigation concluded that “in Louisiana, the state with the highest maternal death rate, there were 58.1 deaths per 100,000 births over the course of the study period from 2012 to 2016. The next highest, Georgia and Indiana, had 48.4 and 43.6 per 100,000 births, respectively over that time.
Either way, Georgia is ready to address the issue. HR 589 states that,
“Georgia is among the top ten states with the highest maternal death rate; and maternal deaths are a serious public health concern and have a tremendous family and societal impact, affecting diverse populations;
It goes on to state, “the Georgia Maternal Mortality Review Committee has reviewed three years of maternal death data; and continued review of maternal deaths is recommended to understand trends in maternal deaths. Research performed by the Georgia Maternal Mortality Review Committee suggests 60 percent of these deaths are preventable; and there is a need to develop strategies and institute systemic changes to decrease and prevent maternal deaths in Georgia.”
The committee will be co-chaired by Rep. Sharon Cooper (R-Marietta) and Rep. Mark Newton (R-Augusta). Rep. Cooper is the Chairman of the House Health & Human Services Committee as well as a medical administrator and registered nurse. Rep. Newton is the House Majority Caucus Chief Deputy Whip as well as a physician specializing in emergency medicine.
The other House members appointed to the study committee are:
● Rep. Chuck Efstration (R-Dacula)
● Rep. Carolyn Hugley (D-Columbus)
● Rep. Deborah Silcox (R-Sandy Springs)
● Rep. Valencia Stovall (D-Forest Park)
● Rep. Darlene Taylor (R-Thomasville)
The Speaker also appoints the following citizen members who are also members of the Georgia Maternal Mortality Review Committee:
● Dr. Jane Ellis, MD, PhD – Medical Director, Emory Regional Perinatal Center
● Dr. Chad Ray, MD – Associate Professor, Medical College of Georgia
While there are still a lot of unknowns, there are some “knowns” among public health experts, according to reports by the Department of Public Health that state, “Like in the U.S. overall, Georgia African-American women are vastly more likely to die from pregnancy. White women in Georgia are worse off than women in many other developed countries. Georgia’s rate is much higher than the U.S. average. Georgia’s reported rate is much worse than it used to be. The majority of maternal deaths occur after the pregnancy is over. A large portion of pregnancy-related deaths here are preventable.”
The committee shall stand abolished on December 1, 2019.
