Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America Launches National Campaign to Cut U.S. Maternal Mortality in Half Within Five Years

Olivia Walton, Governor Wes Moore, and Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders debut bipartisan effort on NBC’s Meet the Press

Bentonville, AR, May 10, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America (HMHBA) officially launched this weekend on NBC’s Meet the Press, where Olivia Walton joined Governor Wes Moore (D-MD) and Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R-AR) to announce a national campaign to cut maternal mortality in the United States in half within five years.

The appearance marked a hopeful moment of bipartisan alignment on one of the country’s most urgent—and solvable—public health challenges.

“We know what works. We have the data – from blue, red and purple states – examples of programs and policies that improve outcomes for moms and babies. This is non-partisan work. No finger-pointing. Just action. The time to scale these proven solutions is now,” said Olivia Walton, Founder of Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America. "This is a once-in a generation opportunity to make progress as a country on an issue that underpins the future prosperity of our nation. When the stakes are this high and the solution is this clear, the only path forward is to work together and deliver.”

Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders emphasized the importance of state leadership and action:

“I’m a mom of three, which is why my administration has been laser-focused on building a comprehensive, coordinated approach to improving maternal health and lowering maternal mortality in Arkansas,” said Governor Sanders. “Last year, I signed the Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies Act to create pathways for women in Arkansas to receive the care they deserve, whether they live in urban or rural communities. I am incredibly grateful to Olivia Walton and Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America, for partnering with us on this effort. Together, we will create lasting change.”

Governor Wes Moore highlighted the need for urgency and national alignment:

“Addressing maternal health is not just a policy priority; it is a moral imperative to ensure that every mother and child in Maryland has the foundation they need to thrive. Maryland is taking bold action to close the gaps in health equity — from providing direct financial support to new moms in communities with generational poverty to making it easier for expecting and new parents to access critical benefits. We will continue to move with urgency to protect our people, uplift access to care, and build a state where no family is left behind.”

The United States has the highest maternal mortality rate in the developed world—and it continues to rise. According to the CDC, nearly 9 out of 10 of these deaths are preventable. Yet outcomes for American mothers and babies lag far behind peer nations, with devastating human and economic consequences. Poor maternal and infant health outcomes cost the U.S. economy an estimated $165.3 billion annually.

The campaign is designed as a five-year national sprint to change that trajectory—bringing together leaders across sectors to elevate awareness, accelerate adoption of proven solutions, and build the momentum needed to save lives at scale. Focused on state-led policy reform advanced by Heartland Forward’s Maternal & Child Health Center for Policy & Practice (MCH CPP), this initiative calls for targeted efforts to improve prenatal care, strengthen postpartum care, and make maternal health good business.

Governor Sanders and Governor Moore highlighted their states’ efforts as examples of action already underway. Arkansas has implemented sweeping maternal health reforms through the Healthy Moms Healthy Babies Act, while Maryland has dramatically expanded access to care, invested in reducing disparities in maternal outcomes, and reformed the delivery of care through the Maryland Maternal Health Act.

Their joint appearance underscored a central tenet of the campaign: maternal health is not a political issue—it is an American one.

HMHBA is launching with a growing coalition of policymakers, faith leaders, employers, health systems, nonprofits, and cultural and business leaders who are uniting around a single, measurable goal: reduce maternal mortality in the United States by 50% within five years.

By aligning leaders across sectors and across party lines, HMHBA aims to elevate maternal health as a national priority and accelerate progress through shared awareness and collective action.

Leila Roberts
4157132009
leila.roberts@ingeborg.com

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