President of the United States, Joe Biden, says black women in America are more prone to die during pregnancy than their white counterparts.

Biden stated this via in a White House press statement released on Wednesday, where he noted that the sad reality for the race has made the Black Maternal Health Week an urgent call for action.

The US president also said his administration is addressing the disparities the black community face in the US. According to him, disparities that address the health of black women are being addressed by his administration.

It reads in part; “Women in America are dying at a higher rate from pregnancy-related causes than women in any other developed nation. Black women face even more risk and are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women. That is in no small part because of a long history of systemic racism and bias. Studies show that when Black women suffer from severe injuries or pregnancy complications or simply ask for assistance, they are often dismissed or ignored in the health care settings that are supposed to care for them.

People of color — including expecting mothers — also bear the brunt of environmental injustices like air and water pollution, which worsen health outcomes. Too often, Black mothers lack access to safe and secure housing, affordable transportation, and affordable, healthy food. This is unjust and unacceptable.

That is why my Administration has worked to address this crisis from the very beginning. Vice President Kamala Harris came into office as a key leader on maternal health and continues to fight for improved maternal health outcomes, elevating the issue nationally and convening experts and activists to find solutions.

My Administration’s first piece of historic legislation — the American Rescue Plan — gave States the option to provide a full year of postpartum coverage to women on Medicaid, increasing it from just 60 days previously. Now, 45 States, Washington, D.C., and the United States Virgin Islands provide a full year of this critical care. We also made coverage under the Affordable Care Act more affordable, saving millions of families an average of $800 per year on health insurance premiums.”