ATLANTA — More mothers are dying during childbirth in Georgia than in any other state in the country. Black mothers are dying at higher rates across the state than any other race.
A hospital in north Georgia is hoping to figure out why. The hospital was just awarded a major grant, as the White House announces a $20 million investment this week to address the crisis nationwide.
The funds will help researchers study how women are treated before and after childbirth, and why the disparity here is so high.
"I think it's of vital importance. You know, we're seeing African American women are dying at a much higher rate than other races," said 11Alive medical expert Dr. Sujatha Reddy. "So it is so important to investigate, you know, what is the reason? What are the reasons?"
Reddy said it's critical that doctors have the tools they need to better treat people giving birth in our state. She thinks the $1 million awarded to the Medical Center Foundation in Gainesville will make a difference.
"I think we know that when a cause is highlighted, people say, 'Oh, my goodness, that's an important cause I need to contribute.' Or other agencies may see the need to contribute," she said.
The grant will give researchers the ability to dig into the data and find real solutions the whole state can put into practice.
"I don't think $1,000,000 is going to figure this out, but I think it shows that this is an important problem. We're starting to investigate. And as people see that, you know, this is something that we need to investigate and we need to actually devote funds, time and resources to," Reddy said.
11Alive has been investigating the maternal death rates for women in our state for years. Our multipart series Mothers Matter highlighted families whose experiences match this data and who are hopeful something in our state will change.
Reddy said this grant could be the first step.
See more on the 2018 Mothers Matter series here.