About Me.
Welcome to my capstone project on maternal mortality, inspired by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. As a high school senior passionate about global health and equity, I created this website to explore and compare maternal mortality rates in the United States, Rwanda, and Uganda. Through this project, I examine the systemic factors contributing to maternal deaths, disparities in healthcare access, and the progress being made toward reducing these rates. By connecting research with real-world impacts, my goal is to raise awareness and advocate for stronger, more equitable maternal healthcare systems around the world.
Problem Statement.
Despite advancements in global healthcare, maternal mortality remains a pressing issue, especially in low- and middle-income countries and even within high-income nations like the United States. I examined three countries, processing their weaknesses and strengths based on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (3, Good Health and Wellbeing, and 9, Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure). Maternal mortality is not only a health crisis but also a reflection of broader systemic inequalities, including limited access to quality care, socioeconomic disparities, and gaps in health infrastructure. This project investigates how maternal mortality continues to impact women in the United States, Rwanda, and Uganda—three countries with vastly different healthcare systems and resources—highlighting both the challenges they face and the efforts underway to improve maternal health outcomes.
Research
Factors leading to limited maternal healthcare:
Geographic barriers
(long distances, healthcare deserts)
Shortage of healthcare professionals
(limited availability of higher healthcare education opportunities)
Socioeconomic inequalities
(disparities in wealth and income)
Gender inequality
(Biased systems, lack of education, civil rights)
Racial inequalities
(women of color are disproportionately ignored and neglected by the healthcare system)
Research
Here is an overview of each country's state considering the Maternal Mortality rate. it is important while examining it to keep in mind access to resources, social inequalities, political states, essentially, all strengths/weaknesses.
The United States
The United States has one of the highest maternal mortality rates among high-income countries. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the maternal mortality rate in 2021 was 22.3 deaths per 100,000 live births, a decrease from 32.9 in 2021 but still significantly higher than peer nations (CDC, 2024). Racial disparities remain stark: Black women are nearly three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women (CDC, 2023). These disparities are driven by factors such as unequal access to care, chronic health conditions, and systemic racism within healthcare.
Citations:
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). Maternal Mortality Rates in the United States, 2021. https://www.cdc.gov
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). Racial and Ethnic Disparities Continue in Pregnancy-Related Deaths. https://www.cdc.gov/hearher/pregnancy-related-deaths/index.html
Rwanda
Rwanda has made dramatic strides in reducing maternal mortality. According to World Bank data, the country’s maternal mortality rate decreased from 1,071 per 100,000 live births in 2000 to 203 per 100,000 in 2020 (World Bank, 2024). This success is attributed to improvements in healthcare infrastructure, investment in community health workers, and an increase in skilled birth attendance. Despite these gains, access to emergency obstetric care remains uneven, especially in rural regions.
Citation:
-
World Bank. (2024). Maternal Mortality Ratio (modeled estimate, per 100,000 live births) – Rwanda. https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.STA.MMRT?locations=RW
Uganda
Uganda has also made progress, with maternal mortality decreasing from 524 per 100,000 live births in 2000 to 189 per 100,000 in 2020 (World Bank, 2024). Persistent challenges include shortages of trained healthcare professionals, geographic barriers to care, and a high rate of adolescent pregnancies. Uganda’s Ministry of Health, in collaboration with international organizations, continues to work toward improving access to antenatal services and emergency care.
Citation:
-
World Bank. (2024). Maternal Mortality Ratio (modeled estimate, per 100,000 live births) – Uganda. https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.STA.MMRT?locations=UG
Community - Interviews
Pradeep Kapadia, Founder of The Kapadia Education Foundation
"Those who are willing to cut their left arm for an education... they are the ones who keep it going."
Jimmy Kosa, second year medical student at Kampala International University
"Growing up in my community, facing the challengers in health exacerbated by political and geographical factors, I was motivated as a child to become a doctor someday."
Linda Rivera, Operations Manager at Family Planning Associates (Chicago)
"We're creating a safe space for people during some of the most vulnerable moments in their lives."
Proposed Solutions
Approach and Process
Global Scale
On a global scale, organizations should work on implementing programs to aid developing countries in increasing access to pursuing higher education in healthcare.
Local Scale
Proposing innovative solutions and interventions to address Support country-wide initiatives and organizations who are dedicated to supporting mothers and limiting race-based discrimination in healthcare. gaps.
Personal Scale
To help this cause, we can all continue to raise awareness of the threat of limiting maternal healthcare access in our own individual communities.