| 1 | 1 | | 25 LC 112 2988 |
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| 2 | 2 | | Senate Resolution 191 |
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| 3 | 3 | | By: Senators Jackson of the 41st, James of the 28th, Wicks of the 34th, Merritt of the 9th, |
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| 4 | 4 | | Sims of the 12th and others |
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| 5 | 5 | | A RESOLUTION |
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| 6 | 6 | | Recognizing Black maternal health statistics; and for other purposes. |
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| 7 | 7 | | 1 |
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| 8 | 8 | | WHEREAS, the United States has the highest rates of maternal mortality among higher2 |
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| 9 | 9 | | income countries. There are an estimated 700 to 900 deaths per year in the United States that3 |
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| 10 | 10 | | are pregnancy related, and another 50,000 persons suffer from severe complications; and4 |
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| 11 | 11 | | WHEREAS, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 80 percent5 |
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| 12 | 12 | | of pregnancy related deaths in the United States are preventable; and6 |
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| 13 | 13 | | WHEREAS, in Georgia, four in five pregnancy-related deaths are preventable; and7 |
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| 14 | 14 | | WHEREAS, health care improvement initiatives are necessary to ensure that all people who8 |
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| 15 | 15 | | are pregnant or postpartum receive the right care at the right time; and9 |
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| 16 | 16 | | WHEREAS, the United States has an infant mortality rate that is greater than most10 |
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| 17 | 17 | | higher-income countries. Currently, the United States is ranked 33 out of 36 countries11 |
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| 18 | 18 | | belonging to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), with12 |
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| 19 | 19 | | an average of 5.58 deaths per 1,000 live births; and13 |
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| 20 | 20 | | S. R. 191 |
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| 21 | 21 | | - 1 - 25 LC 112 2988 |
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| 22 | 22 | | WHEREAS, racism and racial bias in healthcare systems contribute to both the national |
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| 23 | 23 | | 14 |
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| 24 | 24 | | maternal mortality and morbidity crisis and infant mortality and morbidity, in particular for15 |
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| 25 | 25 | | pregnant and postpartum persons and infants who are Black; and16 |
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| 26 | 26 | | WHEREAS, the COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare longstanding racial and socioeconomic17 |
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| 27 | 27 | | inequities in our healthcare system; and18 |
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| 28 | 28 | | WHEREAS, one of the essential goals of the state Department of Public Health is to reduce19 |
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| 29 | 29 | | health and mental health disparities among vulnerable and underserved communities to20 |
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| 30 | 30 | | achieve health equity throughout Georgia. This essential goal should extend to health equity21 |
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| 31 | 31 | | for Black birthing people and babies; and22 |
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| 32 | 32 | | WHEREAS, Black women are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy related23 |
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| 33 | 33 | | causes than non-Hispanic white women, and access to prenatal care, socioeconomic status,24 |
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| 34 | 34 | | and general physical health do not fully explain the disparity seen in maternal mortality and25 |
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| 35 | 35 | | morbidity rates among Black individuals; there is a growing body of evidence that Black26 |
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| 36 | 36 | | persons are often treated unfairly and unequally in the health care system; and27 |
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| 37 | 37 | | WHEREAS, Georgia has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the United States at28 |
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| 38 | 38 | | almost twice the national rate; and29 |
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| 39 | 39 | | WHEREAS, in Georgia, Black women are almost three times more likely to die from30 |
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| 40 | 40 | | pregnancy related causes than non-Hispanic white women; and 31 |
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| 41 | 41 | | WHEREAS, Georgia has experienced a string of hospital labor and delivery closures across32 |
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| 42 | 42 | | the state, especially in rural areas. In 2019, 93 of the 109 rural counties in Georgia lacked a33 |
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| 43 | 43 | | hospital labor and delivery unit, and 75 lacked an obstetrician-gynecologist (OB/GYN); and34 |
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| 44 | 44 | | S. R. 191 |
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| 45 | 45 | | - 2 - 25 LC 112 2988 |
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| 46 | 46 | | WHEREAS, in Georgia, 34.6 percent of counties are defined as maternity care deserts |
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| 47 | 47 | | 35 |
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| 48 | 48 | | compared to 32.6 percent in the United States; and36 |
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| 49 | 49 | | WHEREAS, chronic health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, obesity,37 |
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| 50 | 50 | | and diabetes contribute to high rates of maternal morbidity and mortality. In Georgia, Black38 |
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| 51 | 51 | | women have egregious above-average rates of all of these conditions, resulting in high-risk39 |
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| 52 | 52 | | pregnancies and poor maternal health outcomes; and40 |
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| 53 | 53 | | WHEREAS, Medicaid coverage for doula care during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum is41 |
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| 54 | 54 | | linked to improved maternal and infant health outcomes, as doula-assisted mothers were four42 |
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| 55 | 55 | | times less likely to have a baby with low birthweight, two times less likely to experience a43 |
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| 56 | 56 | | birth complication for the mother or infant, and significantly more likely to initiate44 |
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| 57 | 57 | | breastfeeding; and45 |
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| 58 | 58 | | WHEREAS, access to quality prenatal, perinatal, and postpartum care is essential to46 |
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| 59 | 59 | | improving maternal health outcomes and reducing preventable maternal death.47 |
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| 60 | 60 | | NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body48 |
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| 61 | 61 | | recognize Black maternal health statistics and acknowledge the need for healthcare49 |
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| 62 | 62 | | improvements to achieve health equity.50 |
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| 63 | 63 | | BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed51 |
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| 64 | 64 | | to make appropriate copies of this resolution available for distribution to the public and the52 |
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| 65 | 65 | | press.53 |
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| 66 | 66 | | S. R. 191 |
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| 67 | 67 | | - 3 - |
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