A Crisis in the Womb: Addressing Black Maternal Health in the Caribbean

Black maternal health in the Caribbean is facing a crisis—one that is costing lives. Despite medical advances, women across the region, especially in underserved communities, continue to face some of the highest maternal mortality rates in the Western Hemisphere. This week in Pulse Check: Black Health Weekly, we look at what’s fueling the crisis and who is fighting to protect Black mothers.

The Numbers Paint a Grim Picture

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that the maternal mortality ratio in some Caribbean countries can reach up to 130 deaths per 100,000 live births—more than double the average in high-income countries. Jamaica’s most recent figures hover around 100, while Haiti’s maternal mortality rate is among the highest in the Western Hemisphere.

These deaths are often preventable.

Delayed emergency care, understaffed hospitals, inadequate transportation to clinics, and a lack of prenatal monitoring all contribute to unnecessary fatalities. Add to that medical bias, economic hardship, and a shortage of trained obstetric professionals, and the result is a health system unprepared to protect its most vulnerable patients.

Real Stories, Real Risks

In Montego Bay, 27-year-old Chantelle died hours after giving birth when her symptoms of postpartum hemorrhage were not acted on in time. Her family says her pain was dismissed as “normal” after delivery. In Port of Spain, a first-time mother nearly lost her baby due to complications that could have been flagged earlier—but her rural clinic didn’t have an ultrasound machine.

These aren’t isolated incidents—they are signs of a system failing Black women at one of their most critical life moments.

The Rise of Community Care

In response, a growing number of Caribbean midwives and doulas are reclaiming traditional birthing knowledge while pushing for system-wide change. Organizations like Caribbean Doulas United and the Jamaica Midwives Association are training a new generation of birth workers focused on respectful, culturally-informed care.

Community clinics and mobile maternal care units in countries like Barbados and Grenada are also proving effective, especially in underserved rural areas.

What Needs to Change

Experts agree on a few urgent solutions:

• Improve hospital staffing and emergency readiness

• Expand access to trained midwives and doulas

• Provide free or subsidized prenatal care and transport

• Combat medical bias through training and accountability

• Collect and publish disaggregated health data on maternal outcomes

Governments across the Caribbean have pledged to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3.1—to reduce maternal mortality to less than 70 per 100,000 live births by 2030. But with the clock ticking, advocates say more political will and funding are needed.

Pulse Check: Black Health Weekly
Black maternal health is a matter of life and death. If we’re serious about protecting our women, it starts with listening—and acting.

Next week, we’ll explore the growing mental health crisis among Black youth in Canada and the Caribbean.

This is your Pulse Check. Every Monday.

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Pulse Check: Black Health Weekly is Vision Newspaper’s weekly column on health, healing, and equity in Black communities across the Caribbean, Canada, Africa and the diaspora.
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