On December 11, 2019, the Black Maternal Health Caucus hosted a special roundtable to discuss NIH’s efforts to address the rising rates of women, especially African American women, dying in the U. S. from preventable, pregnancy-related complications. The Black Maternal Health Caucus was launched this year to raise awareness within Congress about this important women’s health issue. Before the roundtable, I gathered with some of the participants. Standing next to me (from l-r) are: Diana Bianchi, director of NIH’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; Congresswoman Alma Adams of North Carolina, a co-founder of the Caucus; Eliseo Pérez-Stable, director of NIH’s National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities; Congresswoman Lauren Underwood of Illinois, also a co-founder of the Caucus; and Gary Gibbons, director of NIH’s National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. The roundtable was held in the Longworth House Office Building, Washington, D.C. Credit: Lauren Underwood’s Office.
