Pennsylvania Gov. Wolf Signs Legislation to Investigate Maternal Deaths

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Pennsylvania Gov Tom Wolf

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf signed into law a legislation to investigate and reveal findings related to maternal deaths.

House Bill 1869 authorized the creation of a Maternal Mortality Review Committee within the state’s Health Department. The committee’s primary objective is to collect and examine confidential information related to maternal health and release its findings. The bill is now called Act 24 of 2018.

Prior to the passage of the legislation, there is no mechanism to determine the cause of maternal deaths in Pennsylvania. The committee’s findings can lead to systemic changes to reduce maternal mortality.

Pennsylvania has an alarming rate of maternal deaths

Gov. Wolf approved the legislation due to the increasing incidence of maternal deaths in Pennsylvania. Since 1994, the rate of maternal deaths in the state doubled, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In Philadelphia alone, 27.9 women per 100,000 live births died from 2010 to 2012, according to the city’s Maternal Mortality Review Team.