Government response to petition: Improve maternal mortality rates and healthcare for black women in the UK

Summary

Black women in the UK are five times more likely to die during pregnancy and after childbirth compared to white women (MBRRACE, 2019). A petition recently called for more research into why this is happening and recommendations to improve healthcare for Black Women as urgent action is needed to address this disparity.

The petition exceeded the threshold of 100,000 signatures required in order to be considered for debate in Parliament. The Government issued this written response on 25 June 2020.