New Mexico is drawing on a strong tradition of community-centered maternity care to advance safer, more equitable birth experiences for all families. Midwives, OB-GYNs, family physicians, doulas, community health workers, and public health leaders are working together to strengthen systems of care.
As part of this broader effort, Hilton Foundation grantee Bold Futures, a nonprofit organization working to advance equitable birth outcomes in New Mexico, developed the policy brief Creating Pathways to Birth Equity in New Mexico, which synthesizes data, research and community perspectives to describe current conditions and outline potential strategies for improving maternal health.
State partners are using more comprehensive approaches that consider clinical factors alongside mental health, substance use and discrimination, informing holistic responses such as expanded perinatal mental health services, better care coordination, and harm reduction.
At the same time, New Mexico is investing in diverse, culturally concordant care, expanded access to doulas, and community-driven initiatives grounded in reproductive and birth justice, with the goal of ensuring every birthing person is heard, respected, and supported.
To read more about the critical maternal and infant health needs in New Mexico, including policy and community-driven strategies for improvement, access the full policy brief from Bold Futures.