REMARKS
Addressing maternal health disparities for Black women in New York City
0:08:24
ยท
40 sec
Public Advocate Williams highlights the significant racial disparities in maternal health outcomes, particularly affecting Black women in New York City and across the United States.
- He cites recent statistics showing that Black women in the US died at nearly 3.5 times the rate of white women around childbirth in 2023.
- Williams mentions that the disparity is even higher in New York City.
- He notes his involvement in passing a package of maternal health bills in 2022.
- The Public Advocate emphasizes the need for properly funded public hospitals and quality healthcare for predominantly people of color to address these disparities.
Jumaane Williams
0:08:24
When we talk about health care outcomes, one of the strongest examples of racial disparity is maternal health outcomes.
0:08:29
As we've seen just this month, racial gaps widen.
0:08:32
Black women in The US died at nearly 3.5 times higher than white women around the time of childbirth in 2023.
0:08:38
In 2022, I was happy to pass legislation as part of a package of mental maternal health bills.
0:08:43
Also, New York City is actually higher than that.
0:08:46
With the council, we were ensuring that these rights are upheld and New Yorkers are empowered to demand what they deserve, making sure that public hospitals are funded with contracts that ensure quality doctors serve patients who are predominantly people of more color can help address these continued shameful gaps that cost the lives of women.
0:09:03
I do wanna say my office put out a report a few years ago that showed the places that had the most gun violence also had the highest COVID deaths, had the most absence in schools, had the highest calls for mental health assistance, and also had the least amount of affordable housing.