Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.) recently participated in a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies hearing to discuss the Fiscal Year 2025 National Institutes of Health (NIH) budget. The hearing featured testimony from NIH Director Dr. Monica Bertagnolli and covered various health-related issues, including maternal health.
During the hearing, Senator Britt emphasized her ongoing support for the NIH’s Implementing a Maternal Health and Pregnancy Outcomes Vision for Everyone (IMPROVE) initiative. This initiative aims to address the maternal mortality crisis in the United States by conducting essential research into its causes. Senator Britt, alongside Senator Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.), is a lead sponsor of the bipartisan NIH IMPROVE Act, which seeks to secure consistent funding for this research.
Senator Britt highlighted the urgency of addressing maternal health, particularly in Alabama, which has the highest maternal mortality rate in the nation at 64.63 deaths per 100,000 births. She stressed the importance of improving healthcare for women before, during, and after pregnancy, noting that over a third of Alabama’s counties are classified as “maternity care deserts” with limited access to maternity care providers and birthing facilities.
Dr. Bertagnolli supported the significance of the IMPROVE initiative, describing it as a “really important” effort to enhance maternal healthcare. She noted that pregnancy-related complications resulted in the deaths of about 1,200 women in 2021, with disproportionately higher rates among Black women. Dr. Bertagnolli explained that the initiative addresses multiple factors, including mental health and substance use disorders, to tackle the complex issue of maternal mortality.
Senator Britt reaffirmed her commitment to advancing the NIH IMPROVE Act and finding additional solutions to the maternal mortality crisis. She expressed gratitude to NIH staff for their technical assistance in developing the bill and emphasized the need for a sustainable funding source for maternal health research.
Beyond the IMPROVE Act, Senator Britt has introduced other legislation aimed at supporting maternal health. This month, she introduced the More Opportunities for Moms to Succeed (MOMS) Act, which seeks to provide critical support to women during prenatal, postpartum, and early childhood development phases. She has also co-sponsored the Rural Obstetrics Readiness Act with Senators Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), and Tina Smith (D-Minn.). This bipartisan legislation aims to expand access to maternal care by supporting rural healthcare facilities and doctors in providing urgent obstetric care, which is particularly crucial in Alabama’s predominantly rural counties.
