Campaign Pledges $100M to Halve U.S. Maternal Deaths

Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America, a bipartisan campaign founded by philanthropists Olivia and Tom Walton, has pledged $100 million over five years to cut the U.S. maternal mortality rate in half by 2031. The initiative will target rural obstetric access, midwife training, postpartum care, improved data collection and hospital reporting, while encouraging states to match its investment. CDC data cited by the campaign show that 688 people died during pregnancy or shortly after childbirth in 2024, when the national maternal mortality rate reached about 19 deaths per 100,000 live births. Advocates say the United States has the highest maternal mortality rate among wealthy nations, with racial and geographic disparities and many deaths considered preventable. Campaign leaders characterize the crisis as solvable through better implementation of known practices and say bipartisan political support can help drive improvements.