Black women in the UK are not getting the maternity care they deserve, remaining twice as likely to die during childbirth compared to their white counterparts - a stark and unacceptable disparity that continues to demand urgent action.

Last week, King’s College London researchers joined a pivotal national discussion aimed at addressing these inequalities.

The Race Equality Engagement Group (REEG), convened by the Cabinet Office’s Office for Equality and Opportunity, hosted a community engagement session focused on improving maternity and neonatal care for ethnic minority communities.

The event brought together healthcare professionals, grassroots organisations, policymakers, and individuals with lived experience to share insights and identify solutions.

King’s Reproductive Borders & Bordering Reproduction (RBBR) research project, funded by the Arts & Humanities Research Council, played a central role in the conversation.

Dr Sarah Milton, Principal Investigator for RBBR, opened the session by presenting early findings from the team’s research. These findings shed light on the systemic challenges faced by racialised communities and helped set the scene for collaborative dialogue.

“Pregnancy should never be something women fear or look back on with trauma,” said Dr Milton. “It is unacceptable that some women and babies from ethnic minority backgrounds remain disproportionately at risk. Research must inform action to change this.”

The event highlighted the importance of listening to lived experiences. Dr Milton shared stories from the RBBR research that revealed the emotional and physical toll of inequitable care, reinforcing the need for structural change.

Attendees at the REEG at the London Institute for Healthcare Engineering, 8 Dec 2025

The RBBR team also expressed gratitude for the opportunity to engage with changemakers across the sector and reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring research translates into improved outcomes for all communities.

As conversations continue, King’s College London remains at the forefront of efforts to tackle racial inequalities in maternal and neonatal health.

Find out more:

https://www.kcl.ac.uk/research/reproductive-borders

Follow them on LinkedIn

Dr Sarah Milton

News

News

Tackling racial inequalities in maternal and neonatal care

News

Tackling racial inequalities in maternal and neonatal care