Christy Turlington Burns Discusses Maternal Global Health

AND I WAS STUNNED TO LEARNED, I ASSUME YOU WERE, IN TERMS OF MATERNAL MORTALITY, THE U.S. IS THE ONLY WESTERN COUNTRY WHERE THIS IS RISING.

EXACTLY.

SO IN 2003, WHEN I DELIVERED MY DAUGHTER, THE GLOBAL ESTIMATE WAS 530,000 GIRLS AND WOMEN WERE ESTIMATED TO DIE EVERY YEAR, AND THOSE NUMBERS HADN'T BUNNED IN DECADES.

IT WAS ONLY WHEN I WAS TRAVELING IN EL SALVADOR THAT I LEARNED WHERE THE U.S. WAS.

AND I WAS SHOCKED TO LEARN THE U.S. WAS RANKED 41st AT THAT TIME.

I LEARNED OF ALL DEVELOPED COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD, WE'RE THE WORST.

WE'RE ONE OF 13 COUNTRIES WITH A RISING MORTALITY RATE AND THAT WAS COMPLETELY SHOCKING.

IN NEW YORK I LEARNED WE WERE POORLY RANKED.

IN FACT, NEW YORK CITY, AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMEN ARE 12 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO DIE THAN CAUCASIAN WOMEN.

AND THAT'S THREE TO FOUR TIMES MORE THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE, WHICH IS SHOCKING.

WHY IS THIS HAPPENING HERE IN THE UNITED STATES?

WHAT IS IT THAT MAKES THIS FIGURE KEEP RISING?

IT'S INTERESTING.

BECAUSE THE U.S. IS COMPLEX FOR MANY REASONS.

IT COULD BE 50 COUNTRIES VERSUS 50 STATES.

WHEN I WAS GOING THROUGH THE EXPLORATION OF FIGURING OUT HOW I WOULD BE A GOOD ADVOCATE, I WENT BACK TO SCHOOL TO WORK ON A MASTER'S IN PUBLIC HEALTH AT COLUMBIA.

THEN I STARTED A DOCUMENTARY FILM.

THAT FILM, 'NO WOMAN, NO CRY,' WAS KIND OF A THESE SISTER IN A WAY OF EXPLORING THE BARRIERS AND CHALLENGES IN A NUMBER OF COUNTRIES.

THE U.S. WAS PART OF THAT EXPLORATION PROCESS.

THERE ARE A NUMBER OF REASONS WHY WE'RE DOING SO POORLY.

FOR ONE, WE HAVE A LOT OF CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITIONS THAT ARE ON THE RISE, SUCH AS DIABETES AND OBESITY.

THAT IMPACTS THE OUTCOMES OF PREGNANCY.

NOT ONLY FOR BABIES, BUT FOR MOTHERS.

THERE'S ALSO RACIAL DISPARITIES THAT HAVE BEEN A PROBLEM FOR A VERY LONG TIME.

BUT NOW WE'RE REALLY FOCUSING ON WHAT'S DRIVING THAT.

AND WHAT WE'RE LEARNING FROM TALKING TO WOMEN AND HEARING MORE STORIES FROM WOMEN WHO EXPERIENCE NEAR MISSES, WHICH IS VERY, VERY COMMON, IF WOMEN DON'T DIE THERE ARE 20 TO 30 OTHERS WHO WILL SUFFER LIFE-LONG DISABILITIES RELATED TO CHILDBIRTH AND PREGNANCY.

AND WE'RE HEARING FROM WOMEN THAT THEY'RE NOT LISTENED TO.

OR THEY'RE DISREGARDED.

IN HOSPITAL SETTINGS.

THE STATS ARE CRAZY.

SOME DOCTORS CAN ENTER THE SPECIALTY OF MATERNAL FETAL MEDICINE, EVEN COMPLETE TRAINING, WITHOUT SPENDING ANY TIME IN THE LABOR DELIVERY UNIT.

IT'S EXTRAORDINARY.

SERENA WILLIAMS, WHO'S OBVIOUSLY A MAJOR STAR, WHO HAD HER FIRST BABY GIRL AND NEARLY DIED, SHE ALSO WROTE ABOUT IT, AND FOCUSED ON WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, WHICH IS THE RACIAL DISPARITY.

WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT IT, WHAT DOES YOUR ORGANIZATION DO?

WELL, WE'VE BEEN REALLY TRYING TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ABOUT THIS AS AN ISSUE GENERALLY.

AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL, AT THE INTERNATIONAL LEVEL.

BUT WE'VE ALSO TRIED TO REALLY INVEST IN HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS, MID-LEVEL PROVIDERS.