Advancing maternal health equity
The need for cultural awareness and inclusivity in maternity service delivery in the UK: anchored in the MBRRACE-UK 2025 findings
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 23310985 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Obasanjo Afolabi Bolarinwa (0000-0002-9208-6408, York St John University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 25 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Publication date | 2026-07-27 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Journal for Equity in Health (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1475-9276 • E-ISSN: 1475-9276 |
| Publisher | Springer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1186/s12939-026-02956-2 |
| PMID | 42509547 |
| OpenAlex | W7171426623 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 24 |
Despite ongoing national efforts to improve health outcomes, the UK continues to experience entrenched inequalities in maternal mortality, disproportionately affecting Black, Asian, and migrant women. The MBRRACE-UK 2025 report reaffirms that these disparities are not random but rooted in structural deficiencies within the maternity service delivery system. This commentary argues that achieving maternal health equity requires a fundamental shift in how maternity care is commissioned, delivered, and evaluated. Cultural awareness and inclusivity should be recognised as an important integral to the provision of safe and effective maternity care, rather than treated as supplementary considerations. Embedding these principles into national clinical guidelines, service contracts, commissioning frameworks, and mandatory workforce training will reduce barriers to access, promote equity, improve the quality of maternity care, and rebuild trust among underserved populations. The paper calls for bold and decisive leadership, targeted policy reforms, and genuine co-production with affected women and communities to ensure that maternity services reflect diverse needs. Without such decisive actions, inequalities will persist, undermining the credibility and safety of the UK's maternity care system. The paper also offers actionable policy and system-level recommendations to guide measurable transition towards equitable, culturally responsive maternity services in the UK.
Credibility · Equity (law) · Health care · Health equity · Inequality · Maternity care · Service delivery framework · Workforce · Healthcare Systems and Challenges · Maternal and fetal healthcare · Maternal and Perinatal Health Interventions · Health Policy
A global analysis of the determinants of maternal health and transitions in maternal mortality
Effectiveness of interventions to provide culturally appropriate maternity care in increasing uptake of skilled maternity care
Associations between neighbourhood deprivation, ethnicity and maternal health outcomes in England
Delivering Culturally Competent Care to Migrants by Healthcare Personnel
Migrant maternity in an era of superdiversity
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |