Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America Launches $100 Million Campaign to Reduce U.S. Maternal Mortality Rate

The initiative deploys $100 million in philanthropic funding over five years to encourage state-level matching investments and changes how maternal health resources are distributed in rural areas and postpartum care settings.

• •Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America announced a $100 million, five-year campaign on Thursday to make giving birth in the United States safer.
• •The campaign aims to cut the U.S. maternal mortality rate by half by 2031.
• •The nonprofit is led by founders Olivia and Tom Walton, and its president is Dr. Neel Shah.
• •The campaign intends to fund care improvements by encouraging state governments to match the nonprofit's investment.
• •Data cited from the CDC shows that 688 people died in 2024 during pregnancy or shortly after giving birth.
• •The U.S. maternal mortality rate increased to 19 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2024.
• •The initiative will focus on developing access to maternal health in rural areas, training midwives, enhancing postpartum care, and assisting states with effective plans.
• •The organization is supporting federal legislation including the Rural Obstetrics Readiness Act and the NIH IMPROVE Act.