Governor Gavin Newsom Recognizes Maternal Health Awareness Day 2026

Governor Gavin Newsom today issued a letter recognizing Maternal Health Awareness Day in the State of California.

The text of the letter and a copy can be found below:

LETTER

Today, California recognizes the importance of maternal health and celebrates the progress made in protecting maternal health and reaffirms our commitment to supporting mothers and their families by continuing to advance care and treatment that help mothers thrive.

Although California has a lower mortality rate than any other state in the nation, even one more preventable death is one too many. California’s Surgeon General launched the Strong Start and Beyond initiative to reduce maternal mortality 50% by December 2026. Supporting that effort, California created the Birthing Care Pathway as a strategic roadmap to support new mothers from conception through 12 months postpartum. That pathway was built on the state’s landmark Momnibus Act (SB 65, 2021), which added Medi-Cal coverage for doulas, extended Medi-Cal eligibility for postpartum individuals, eased access to CalWORKs for pregnant people, and required perinatal health care providers to undergo implicit bias training.

Too often, Californian mothers face health inequities during pregnancy, which have devastating impacts: Every five days, a Californian loses their life to pregnancy-related complications, with Black, Hispanic, and Asian/Pacific Islander women facing disproportionately high maternal mortality rates. A person’s background, income, or the color of their skin should not dictate the level of care they receive during or after pregnancy. California is standing up to the status quo, putting quality patient care over profits.

Today, California joins families and organizations across the United States in reaffirming our commitment to supporting mothers in our communities by advancing respectful, evidence-based care. When mothers thrive, our communities thrive, bringing us closer to a healthier California for ALL.

Sincerely,

Gavin Newsom