As Christians, how do we respond to the news that black women are five times more likely to die in pregnancy than white women?

As an obstetrician working at a tertiary level hospital in Central London, it has been clear for many years, that some  women were over-represented for admissions to hospital during pregnancy and in the statistics related to complications associated with pregnancy and childbirth. However, it was not until the MBRRACE report: “Saving Lives, Improving Mothers’ Care, Lessons learned to inform maternity care from the UK and Ireland Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths and Morbidity 2015-17”, was published in December 2019, that the shocking reality of black Women being five times more likely than white women to die, during pregnancy, childbirth or within one year of childbirth was realised. In addition, Asian women were found to be three times more likely to die  and women of dual heritage two times more likely to die. Although this was shocking, I felt that finally this was being nationally recognised and realised to be a scandal, but it was long overdue. 

As a Christian, black woman and obstetrician, I was relieved that this tragedy was finally revealed and challenged by whether I had personally contributed to these terrible statistics and what was I going to do about it?