LA Confidential  Magazine
Site menu
  • Parties
  • People
  • Food & Drink
  • Home & Real Estate
  • Style & Beauty
  • More
    • Culture
    • Lifestyle
    • Watches & Jewelry
    • Magazine
    • Video
    • GreenGale Network
    • Media Kits
  • Digital Edition
  • Contact Us
  • Advertising Info
Sign Up     

Parties

See More
Read More
CFDA Fashion Brunch in We.Ho
Read More
Los Angeles Confidential's Grammys Celebration with G-Eazy
Read More
The XX Project's Power Awards Brunch

People

See More
Read More
Jessica Rothe on Being a Bad Ass Scream Queen in 'Happy Death Day 2U' & Loving That 50 Cent Song
Read More
How 2 Young Sparkling Winemakers Are Transforming Top Brands
Read More
Emma Stone Opens Up About Her Role in Oscar-Nominated 'The Favourite'

Food & Drink

See More
Read More
How 2 Young Sparkling Winemakers Are Transforming Top Brands
Read More
The Best LA-Based Healthy Snack Brands
Read More
How Brands Are Transforming the Retail Experience with Culinary Offerings

Home & Real Estate

See More
Read More
Power Couples: Gosia & Jakob Staron Design for the Future
Read More
Explore a 1940s Home Transformed Through Color & Art
Read More
Go Inside the Cruelty-Free Home of No Doubt's Tony Kanal

Style & Beauty

See More
Read More
A Record-Breaking Birkin Bag Hits the Market
Read More
The Perfect Jewelry for the Ones That Light You Up, Presented by Lightbox
Read More
Clean up Your Beauty Routine With Urban Pearl Collective
Culture
Read More
Lifestyle
Read More
Watches & Jewelry
Read More
Magazine
Read More
Video
Read More
GreenGale Network
Read More
Media Kit
Read More

Search Our Site

Why Katherine Schwarzenegger Thinks Ending Maternal Mortality Is So Important in the US

By Lorna Soonhee Umphrey | August 10, 2016 | People

Share

Katherine Schwarzenegger and Dr. Priya Agrawal chat with us about the work Merck for Mothers is doing to prevent maternal mortality across the world.

In the United States, more than 60,000 women each year—or one every ten minutes—die from complications related to pregnancy or childbirth. Known as maternal mortality, the epidemic is on the rise in the US, despite the fact that this issue is declining worldwide. Women’s health advocate and lifestyle blogger Katherine Schwarzenegger is doing her part to spread the word. Working in partnership with Merck for Mothers—a 10-year, $500 million global initiative to raise awareness and the improve the health of mothers—Schwarzenegger recently spoke on a panel for BlogHer along with the organization's Executive Director Dr. Priya Agrawal.

Schwarzenegger first learned of maternal mortality at the age of 17, after a meeting her mother Maria Shriver had with Sarah Brown, wife of former Prime Minister Gordon Brown. “I left that meeting and did a lot of research to figure out what it was,” she explains. “As a woman, I felt like it was something that I should know about and was embarrassed that I didn’t.” She would go on to visit Africa and Ghana, getting a first-hand account in maternity wards on the delivery experience and the care of mothers after giving birth.

Now, Schwarzenegger is turning to social media to inform millennials about the growing crisis, as she’s found that one of the biggest challenges in getting the word out is that a lot of people have never heard of this issue. “What we’re doing with Merck for Mothers is using the hashtag #endmaternalmortality to be able to spread awareness,” she says. Working in tandem with Dr. Agrawal to spread the word has its challenges in terms of informing women in the US about this matter. Schwarzenegger explains, “The fact that it’s happening so much here in America, that it’s so preventable, is also very frustrating.”

Maternal mortality is most commonly linked to areas in the world such as Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia where awareness is inherent, yet the lack of substantial and responsive maternal healthcare is less available. “The phrase ‘I am pregnant’ in Chad literally translates into ‘I have one foot in the grave,’” says Dr. Agrawal. Merck for Mothers’ goal is to implement full system programs in those countries to help improve healthcare for women and expecting mothers. For the US, the first steps for prevention are communication. “I would say the biggest call-to action for the American programs is to really start talking about it,” says Dr. Agrawal. “Then senators and others will start thinking, my constituents care about this. What can I do in my state to make [health]care safer?”

Schwarzenegger and Agrawal hope this initiative ensures a national voice for the cause. “If you’re wanting to have kids in the future, or if your friends want to have kids, it’s something to watch out for and be informed about,” says Schwarzenegger.

Tags: celebrities health motherhood mothers _feature merck for mothers
Categories: People

All Calendar Culture Food & Drink Home & Real Estate Lifestyle Magazine Parties People Style & Beauty Video Watches & Jewelry


Behind the Scenes with Modern Luxury


Popular Posts

Read More
Jessica Rothe on Being a Bad Ass Scream Queen in 'Happy Death Day 2U' & Loving That 50 Cent Song

Read More
How 2 Young Sparkling Winemakers Are Transforming Top Brands

Read More
Emma Stone Opens Up About Her Role in Oscar-Nominated 'The Favourite'


Behind the Scenes with Modern Luxury


Read the digital edition from Modern Luxury

View Digital Edition

 

 

Click here to read  
the Digital Editions

OR SUBSCRIBE TO THE PRINT EDITION:

SUBSCRIBE

  • Contact Us
  • Advertising Info
  • Digital Editions
  • Online Ad Specs
  • Print Ad Specs
  • Press
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
     logo
    • Aspen
      • Aspen
      • Aspen Peak
      • Epic Life
    • Atlanta
      • The Atlantan
      • Jezebel
      • Modern Luxury Weddings Atlanta
      • Modern Luxury Interiors Atlanta
      • Charity & Social Datebook Atlanta
    • Boston
      • Boston Common
      • Modern Luxury Weddings Boston
      • Modern Luxury Interiors Boston
    • Chicago
      • CS
      • NS
      • Michigan Avenue
      • Modern Luxury Weddings Chicago
      • Modern Luxury Weddings North Shore
      • Modern Luxury Interiors Chicago
      • Men's Book Chicago
      • Modern Luxury City Guide Chicago
      • Charity and Social Datebook Chicago
    • Dallas
      • Modern Luxury Dallas
      • Modern Luxury Weddings Dallas
      • Modern Luxury Interiors Texas
      • Charity and Social Datebook Dallas
    • The Hamptons
      • Beach
      • Hamptons
    • Hawai'i
      • Modern Luxury Hawaii
      • Ala Moana
    • Houston
      • Houston
      • Modern Luxury Weddings Houston
      • Modern Luxury Interiors Texas
      • Charity and Social Datebook Houston
    • Las Vegas
      • Vegas
    • Los Angeles
      • Angeleno
      • Los Angeles Confidential
      • Modern Luxury Weddings California
      • Modern Luxury Interiors California
      • Charity and Social Datebook Los Angeles
    • Miami
      • Miami
      • Ocean Drive
      • Modern Luxury Weddings South Florida
      • Modern Luxury Interiors South Florida
      • Charity and Social Datebook Miami
      • Styled
    • New York
      • Manhattan
      • Gotham
      • Charity and Social Datebook Manhattan
    • Orange County
      • Modern Luxury Orange County
      • Modern Luxury Weddings California
      • Modern Luxury Interiors California
      • Charity & Social Datebook Orange County
    • Palm Beach
      • Modern Luxury Palm Beach
    • Philadelphia
      • Philadelphia Style
    • San Diego
      • Modern Luxury San Diego
      • Modern Luxury Weddings California
      • Modern Luxury Interiors California
      • Charity & Social Datebook San Diego
    • San Francisco
      • San Francisco
      • Modern Luxury Weddings California
      • Modern Luxury Interiors California
      • CityGuide
      • Charity & Social Datebook San Francisco
    • Scottsdale
      • Scottsdale
      • Modern Luxury Interiors Scottsdale
    • Silicon Valley
      • Modern Luxury Silicon Valley
    • Washington, D.C.
      • DC
      • Capitol File
      • Modern Luxury Weddings Washington
      • Charity and Social Datebook DC
    • Watches
      • Tourbillon