Abstract

The leading cause of maternal mortality is hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP). Maternal mortality remains disproportionately high among Black, African, and South Asian women because of systemic inequities, delayed diagnoses, and limited access to culturally responsive care. Advancing maternal health in these populations requires an integrated approach centered on early diagnosis, early hypertension management, targeted education, culturally competent care, and collaborative partnerships.

Collaborative partnerships among healthcare providers, community leaders, policymakers, and global organizations are essential to addressing structural barriers and ensuring continuity of care. By centering the voices and lived experiences of vulnerable women, interventions can be more equitable, inclusive, and effective across diverse settings.

This initiative aligns with a global call to action to advance Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 3 (Good Health and Well-being), 4 (Quality Education), 5 (Gender Equality), 10 (Reduced Inequalities), and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). A comprehensive global advocacy action plan will prioritize education on managing cardiovascular disease and the maternal warning signs, empower women to advocate for their healthcare, provide compassionate-based care, promote equitable maternal care and international collaboration to scale best practices. Through coordinated action, we can reduce preventable maternal deaths, close equity gaps, and ensure safer pregnancies and childbirth experiences for all women.

Notes

References:

United Nations (2026). Sustainable Development Goals. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/

World Health Organization (2025, April 7). Maternal Mortality. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/maternal-mortality

Author Details

Leticia Appiah, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, CVRN-BC, 20 years of nursing experience in critical care and nursing professional development specialist

Sigma Membership

Alpha Beta Zeta

Type

Presentation

Format Type

Video Recording

Study Design/Type

Quality Improvement

Research Approach

N/A

Keywords:

Maternal Health, Maternal Mortality, Maternal Advocacy, Early Identification of Preeclampsia, Social Determinants of Health, Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy, Global Health

Advisor

Janice Hawkins

Second Advisor

Charlotte McArdle

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Rights Holder

All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.

Review Type

Faculty/Mentor Approved: Sigma Academy Participant Poster

Acquisition

Self-submission

Date of Issue

2026-07-15

Full Text of Presentation

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Additional Files

Slides.pdf (905 kB)

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