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NIH Awards $24 Million to Develop Maternal Health Research Centers
The grant is intended to fund the first year of these research centers as part of its IMPROVE initiative.
Yesterday, the National Institutes of Health announced that it would award $24 million for the first year to establish Maternal Health Research Centers of Excellence. This funding is a component of the organization’s Implementing a Maternal Health and Pregnancy Outcomes Vision for Everyone (IMPROVE) initiative.
Across all developed nations, the United States has the highest rate of adverse maternal outcomes, including some of the highest maternal mortality rates. The NIH estimates that, in 2021, there were over 1,200 reported maternal death. Beyond mortality rates, thousands of pregnancy complications impact pregnant or birthing parents in the US.
Recent research has highlighted the disproportionately high rate of adverse maternal health outcomes among racial and ethnic minorities, younger individuals, those with less education, individuals living in rural communities, and patients of a lower socioeconomic status.
“The magnitude and persistence of maternal health disparities in the United States underscore the need for research to identify evidence-based solutions to promote health equity and improve outcomes nationwide,” said Diana W. Bianchi, MD, director of NIH’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), in the press release. “Through collaborations with community partners and others, the Maternal Health Research Centers of Excellence will generate critical scientific evidence to help guide clinical care and reduce health disparities during and after pregnancy.”
To address the systemic and systematic health system failures that continue to perpetuate high maternal morbidity and mortality rates, the NIH hopes to fund the research centers to develop tools for reducing pregnancy complications, minimizing maternal deaths, and promoting health equity in this industry.
The organization funds 10 facilities in South Dakota, New York, Mississippi, Wisconsin, Michigan, Georgia, California, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Utah. Additionally, Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, and the University of Pennsylvania will serve as the data innovation/coordinating hub and the implementation science hub, respectively.
The centers are expected to assess and implement strategies addressing biological, behavioral, environmental, sociocultural, and structural factors influencing maternal morbidity and mortality. The facilities will also address health disparities by collaborating with community partners.
The NIH hopes to renew grants for the next seven years, with an estimated $168 million in funding.
