NYC Comptroller Brad Lander on May 11 introduced a multi-faceted plan aimed at addressing healthcare inequities by expanding access to proven support systems and reshaping the city’s approach to maternal care for Black women.
Despite efforts from past administrations, racial disparities in maternal health outcomes remain stark in New York City, where Black women are six times more likely than white women to die from pregnancy-related causes and Latina women face more than double the risk, the comptroller said.
Lander’s plan focuses on several key initiatives designed to improve maternal health outcomes. One of the main components is to double the number of doulas in the city to meet the growing demand for their services. Doulas provide crucial support to women before, during and after childbirth, and studies show their involvement can improve outcomes for mothers and babies, he said.
He also plans to launch the city’s first midwife-led birth centers, offering culturally responsive, community-based care as an alternative to traditional hospital births.
The plan further outlines citywide anti-bias training for maternity providers, new birthing-friendly hospital standards and a borough-wide postpartum home visit program.
Lander, who is running for mayor, also aims to create a diverse pipeline of midwives, expand guaranteed income pilots for pregnant individuals and prioritize stable housing for expectant mothers in shelters.
Additional support for fathers and caregivers through education and healing programs rounds out the initiative, all geared toward reducing preventable maternal deaths and improving outcomes for families of color.
In addition to healthcare initiatives, Lander said he supports a guaranteed basic income program for low-income New Yorkers during pregnancy and the first 18 months of their child’s life. This program is designed to reduce financial stress and support the overall well-being of families during a critical period.
“New York must begin to address the reality that for generations, pregnancy and childbirth have been disproportionately dangerous for Black and Brown women and their children, who continue to die from preventable causes and biases in the healthcare system,” said Lander.
