12/18/2025
U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján convened more than 55 American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian maternal health leaders to examine the state of Native maternal health in the U.S. resulting in five reports that make clear what midwives and communities have long known: these disparities are profound, preventable, and policy-driven.
AI/AN people face pregnancy-related mortality rates 2–3 times higher than non-Hispanic white counterparts, with Native Hawaiian outcomes similarly elevated. The findings point to generations of harmful federal policies, chronic underfunding of IHS and Urban Indian Organizations, and barriers to culturally rooted care.
ACNM stands with Indigenous leaders in calling for data sovereignty, Indigenous-led systems of care, strengthened IHS infrastructure, and sustained federal investment. Equity requires action and a commitment to follow and fund Native community leadership.
https://www.lujan.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lujan-convenes-experts-to-create-roadmap-for-native-maternal-health-solutions/