Southampton researchers will be at the heart of a national initiative to tackle disparities in maternity outcomes.
The University of Southampton is one of the lead universities of the new NIHR Challenge: Maternity Disparities consortium. It was announced today by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
The consortium brings together universities and partner organisations. Together, they will find new ways to provide better care and support before and between pregnancies. They will be supported by £50 million over five years.
The leadership team includes Southampton’s Professor Keith Godfrey. He will spearhead a collaboration in the challenge.
Disproportionate impact
The risk of dying from pregnancy or childbirth in the UK is higher today than it was before 2000.
There has been a rise in mental and physical health challenges faced by women and their partners before pregnancy. These have a disproportionate impact on women from minority backgrounds.
Outcomes for those living in less advantaged areas are also significantly worse.
Recent evidence suggests that maternal mortality for black women in the UK is almost three times higher than for white women. Significant disparities also exist for Asian women.
‘Impactful work’
Prof Godfrey is a Professor of Epidemiology and Human Development. He is also a theme lead at the NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre. Prof Godfrey said:
“People who are healthier before they get pregnant have better outcomes for themselves and their babies. It is often too late to fix health problems once a woman is already pregnant.
“This means we need to focus on improving health before pregnancy and between pregnancies.”
Preconception refers to the time before a woman is pregnant. Interconception is the time between pregnancies.
Prof Godfrey and colleagues will develop a ‘whole maternity’ journey for women and their partners. The focus is on improving health from preconception until after the baby’s birth.
They will bring this thinking into public health strategies on nutrition, obesity, smoking and alcohol use.
The 'whole maternity' journey will also address broader determinants of healthcare access. These include poverty and racism.
This will create a fairer care system that addresses the needs of all women. In doing so, it will ensure healthier outcomes for future generations.
“I am delighted that Southampton will lead a collaboration in this important NIHR Challenge”, Prof Godfrey added. “I look forward to continuing our impactful work with these partners."
Collective knowledge
The University of Southampton is partnering with University College London, NHS Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board, and NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board.
The collaboration brings a wealth of expertise and a combined research portfolio worth £147.6 million from 2019 to 2024, focused on tackling maternity disparities.
Southampton and UCL have a well-established partnership. The universities have previously worked together in supporting the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) Maternity Disparities Taskforce in 2023. They also co-founded the UK Preconception Partnership together in 2018.
The two Integrated Care Boards add further strength to the collaboration. They have extensive experience in co-developing and delivering preconception and interconception care. They have done so in areas with high levels of ethnicity-associated and coastal disparities.
‘Exceptional consortium’
Southampton is leading one of nine collaborations across the UK. They will work together to address the national challenge.
Professor Marian Knight, Scientific Director for NIHR Infrastructure, said:
“We are delighted by the level of engagement shown by researchers with this important research priority. I am confident we have an exceptional consortium to tackle the challenge of maternity inequalities. They will do this in partnership with existing NIHR funded infrastructure and programmes.
“We look forward to working with the consortium and their collaborators across the UK. We will support them to develop the final plans for their ground-breaking new research projects over the next few months.”
Professor Joht Singh Chandan is the Consortium Co-lead for Research. He said:
"I am honoured to take on the role of co-lead for the NIHR Maternity Disparities Consortium.
“Tackling inequalities in maternity care is a critical priority. This consortium brings together a wealth of expertise to drive meaningful change. Our goal is to address disparities before, during, and after pregnancy. We will do this by focusing on research that leads to real improvements in care for families and their babies across the UK.
Prof Chandan added: “I am particularly looking forward to working alongside the communities most affected by these inequalities. We will ensure that their insights shape our work and lead to lasting, impactful solutions."
Professor Judith Rankin is the Consortium Co-lead for Research and Capacity Development. She said:
“I am delighted to be the co-lead for Research and Capacity Development. This exciting new consortium will help to make the step change we need to improve outcomes for women and their babies.
“The consortium will also invest in our future research leaders. This will ensure we have the capacity to deliver on improving pregnancy outcomes, access to, and experience of, care.”
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