Maternal Health Task Force

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Maternal Health Task Force

The Maternal Health Task Force at Harvard's Center of Excellence in MCH serves as a global platform for maternal health evidence and resources.

The Maternal Health Task Force (MHTF) — a project of the Women and Health Initiative at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health — works to create a strong, well-informed and integrated community of individuals around the globe focused on ending preventable maternal mortality and morbidity worldwide. To that end we:

• Ensure that maternal health practitioners, policy makers, researchers and

advocates have access to the most current and reliable evidence, information and resources on maternal health through our open-access online knowledge management system
• Identify and create opportunities for the maternal health community, led by voices from the global South, to develop consensus on critical maternal health issues, priorities and actions in order to produce evidence-based policy, programs, education and clinical guidelines
• Generate new evidence for program development and policy advocacy through targeted research addressing emerging or neglected areas within maternal health
• Train and mentor the next generation of maternal health leaders

04/15/2026

Save the date! 🌟

Reproductive realities are shifting - are families able to achieve their desired size? Join Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s 2026 Maternal and Child Health Symposium on Fertility to explore gaps between desired and actual fertility, the forces driving those gaps, and how MCH research can move policy and practice forward.

📍 Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (Hybrid)

📅 November 18, 2026

🕐 1:00–5:30 PM EST

Featuring leading experts in economics, demography, epidemiology, and sociology.

Learn more and register: scan QR code or visit bit.ly/mchs26 for more information.

04/14/2026

New research this week spans reproductive coercion and postpartum family planning, maternal smoking and SUID risk, Black-led solutions to the maternal health crisis, perinatal mental health and bonding, and postpartum outcomes after TOLAC/VBAC.

➡️ Swipe through for key takeaways and tap the link in bio to subscribe to Maternal Health Buzz, our biweekly newsletter highlighting key maternal health research studies.

07/30/2025

What is the effectiveness and safety of medication abortion provided with and without in-person screening tests, specifically ultrasonography or pelvic examination:

This study indicates that medication abortion care provided without screening ultrasonography or pelvic examination is comparably safe and effective to care with these screening tests. Although loss to follow-up was high, results are consistent with previous studies. Medication abortion should be ro...

07/29/2025

What is the association between maternal reports of emotional distress due to racism and postpartum depression symptoms among persons with and without disabilities in minoritized racial and ethnic populations:

EDR is significantly associated with PPD symptoms, and persons with disabilities in minoritized racial and ethnic populations may be particularly susceptible to EDR and PPD. Additional research using an intersectional perspective is needed to elucidate PPD disparities as related to multiple, interse...

07/28/2025

Check out this study assessing the effectiveness of the USAID MOMENTUM Safe Surgery in Family Planning and Obstetrics intervention in reducing emergency cesarean delivery among women with previous CDs:

This study demonstrates the effectiveness of an active follow-up intervention in promoting delivery planning and reducing emergency CD rates among pregnant women with previous CD scars. The comprehensive intervention, including tailored education and personalized phone conversations around the deliv...

07/25/2025

Check out this study examining the long-term effects of parity, age at first childbirth, and age at last childbirth on mortality in postmenopausal women:

We found long-term adverse impacts of nulliparity and young age at first childbirth on women's mortality risk and lifespan. Premature menopause may operate as a critical intermediate between childbirth and later-life mortality, underscoring the importance to identify at-risk women early.

07/24/2025

Check out this study investigating the association between ethnicity and severe maternal morbidity in England and the mediating effects of neighbourhood-level socio-economic deprivation across detailed ethnic groups:

07/23/2025

Check out this study assessing the levels, trends, and drivers of changes in Teenage Pregnancy and Motherhood, between 2003 and 2018, in Nigeria:

The TPM prevalence remained high in Nigeria, though a decreasing trend was observed within the studied period. Government and other stakeholders should focus pragmatic interventions on the identified drivers of TPM change over the last two decades in their efforts to alleviate TPM in Nigeria.

07/22/2025

Check out this study examining the birth outcomes of Asian American women and birthing people in the US:

There were lower rates of CB among Asians who birthed in PDR user sites compared to the national average. Future research is needed in community birth outcomes among different Asian ethnicities and Asian birthing people's perspective on community birth.

07/21/2025

Check out this study assessing the magnitude of gestational weight gain and identify its determinants among pregnant women attending antenatal care services at West Shoa Hospital, Ethiopia:

A significant proportion of pregnant women experienced inadequate gestational weight gain. Pre-pregnancy BMI, partner's educational status, maternal occupation, hemoglobin levels, and alcohol consumption were key determinants of gestational weight gain. These findings highlight the need for targeted...

07/18/2025

What are the experiences of Indigenous women in Canada regarding pregnancy and birth-related medical travel? Check out this study:

While many women reported positive experiences, improvements in medical travel and care access are needed to guide Indigenous maternal healthcare policy and planning.

07/17/2025

What is the relationship of postpartum depression, psychological birth trauma, and sleep disturbances, and their impact on QOL in women with high-risk pregnancies? Check out this study:

Targeting key symptoms, such as "Daytime dysfunction" and "Physiological emotional response," with tailored interventions could significantly improve postpartum health outcomes and enhance QOL for women with high-risk pregnancies.

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http://www.mhtf.org/

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Our Story

The Maternal Health Task Force (MHTF) — a project of the Center of Excellence in Maternal and Child Health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health — works to ensure that maternal health practitioners, policymakers, researchers and advocates have access to the most current and reliable evidence, information and resources on maternal health through our open-access online knowledge management system, the bi-weekly MHTF Buzz, and the MHTF Blog.

Our vision for MHTF is a space that not only identifies and promulgates promising research, but serves as a catalyst for research improvement and innovation. In order to reach the Sustainable Development Goal 3 target to reduce maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 births we must invest heavily in research to ensure we are asking the right questions and prioritizing the right interventions.

Ongoing support for the MHTF at the Center of Excellence in MCH comes from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and the U.S. Department of Human Services (HHS) through the Training Grant in Maternal and Child Health.