NCUIH Recommends CDC Continue to Engage with UIOs on Tribal Maternal Health
On January 10, 2025, the National Council of Urban Indian Health (NCUIH) submitted written comments to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) following a December 4, 2024, listening session on maternal health and tribal maternal mortality review. In its comments to CDC, NCUIH recommended that CDC continue to host listening sessions on this topic. In continuing this engagement, NCUIH further recommended that CDC continue to invite Urban Indian Organizations (UIOs) to give UIOs the opportunity to share insights gained from providing services to their patient populations to support maternal health.
Background on CDC and Tribal Maternal Mortality Review
The CDC Division of Reproductive Health’s Enhancing Reviews and Surveillance to Eliminate Maternal Mortality program supports maternal mortality review committees (MMRCs) to identify and review deaths during and within a year of pregnancy, including documenting prevention opportunities. CDC works with MMRCs to improve review processes that inform recommendations for preventing future deaths.
Existing reviews include deaths during and within a year of pregnancy among American Indian and Alaska Native persons. However, there are no Tribal MMRCs. Tribal MMRCs could adapt MMRC processes to reflect community priorities and culturally appropriate approaches to maternal mortality prevention; have direct access to their data and determine the use of their data; and provide recommendations relevant to the community made by a tribally appointed committee to prevent pregnancy-related mortality.
