Black women in the UK are four times more likely to die in pregnancy or childbirth

According to a new report, Black women in the UK are four times more likely to die in pregnancy or childbirth. Maternal suicide is the second largest cause of direct maternal deaths occurring during or within 42 days of the end of pregnancy and remains the leading cause of direct deaths occurring within a year after the end of pregnancy. There remains a five-fold difference in maternal mortality rates amongst women from Black ethnic backgrounds and an almost two-fold difference amongst women from Asian ethnic backgrounds compared to white women, emphasising the need for a continued focus on actions to address these disparities. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists said it would continue working to address inequality through the Race Equality Taskforce. Its president, Dr Edward Morris, also urged the government to commit to a target of a 50% reduction in maternal mortality for black, Asian and minority ethnic women over the next five years.