Officials have known for years there are maternal healthcare challenges in Ohio, but it always comes as a shock to see the numbers. This month, the state Department of Health announced it is hosting trainings for some new programs meant to help prevent the deaths of mothers due to pregnancy-related complications.

Such programs are necessary because in the Buckeye State an average of 24 mothers die every year during pregnancy or within one year of the end of their pregnancy, because of pregnancy-related complications. The Department of Health says 62% of these deaths are considered preventable.

But in Ohio — a state in which so many politicians screech about the importance of children and families — nearly 15% of counties are classified as maternity care deserts. The women in those counties often also have poorer health before pregnancy, and once they are pregnant have little to no access to obstetric care — no hospital, birth center or obstetric provider nearby. Of course, these same conditions also mean a higher likelihood of preterm births and increased health complications for mothers AND babies.

So, the state developed the Maternal Outreach Movement 365 program, which aims to improve access to maternal healthcare in high-need areas and give providers and clinics resources and a better understanding of postpartum conditions.

“When a mother dies soon after delivering her baby, it can have a devastating impact on her baby and family, including a higher risk for infant hospitalizations and mortality,” said ODH Director Bruce Vanderhoff. “We need to do everything we can to reduce these deaths.”

That seems to go without saying, but initial training on MOM 365 began just this fall, in Allen, Carroll, Fayette, Jackson and Morrow counties. Training sessions are also being held at the Marietta-Belpre Health Department in Washington County.

These sessions are a good start, but state officials cannot ignore that as proud as residents are of quality of life in the state that calls itself “the heart of it all,” we face an economy in desperate need of expansion and diversification, rising unemployment, food insecurity across the state and pockets where there is not even enough health care access to ensure a mother is not risking her life because of her pregnancy.

Forget about the message we want to send to potential large employers, or families we would like to attract to (or keep in) the state. Lives depend on doing better for ALL Ohioans, no matter where they live.