Event
Reflections Webinar: MBRRACE-UK Maternal Mortality Report
On Thursday 24 September, we are hosting a reflection webinar on the 2026 MBRRACE-UK maternal mortality report.
On Thursday 24 September, we are hosting a reflection webinar on the 2026 MBRRACE-UK maternal mortality report.
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On Thursday 24 September, we are hosting a reflection webinar on the 2026 MBRRACE-UK maternal mortality report. Last week, the MBRRACE-UK report provided evidence of increasing rates of maternal mortality in this country, and painted a clear picture of how social complexity, inequity and disadvantage intersect with maternal mortality.
In this webinar, Birth Companions Institute Director Kirsty Kitchen and Birth Companions Ambassadors Dr Annabel Sowemimo and Leah Hazard will provide insights and reflections on what needs to happen next to drive meaningful change across services and systems.
Kirsty Kitchen leads the Birth Companions Institute, working with researchers, parliamentarians, policymakers, lawyers, the media and a range of partners to drive radical change for women and their babies. She works closely with our Lived Experience Programme and Birth Companions' services. Her career has focused on policy and communications for charities and government, highlighting social issues and campaigning for justice. She has been involved with Birth Companions since 2015.
Dr Annabel Sowemimo is a doctor, academic, activist and writer. She is an NHS Consultant in Sexual & Reproductive Health working in South London, and the founder of the Reproductive Justice Initiative (RJI, formerly Decolonising Contraception). RJI works to address health inequalities and racial disparities, and has been recognised with numerous awards, including Grassroots Organisation of the Year at the Sexual Health Awards in 2020.
Leah Hazard is a midwife, bestselling author, activist and mother of two young women. Leah’s bestselling memoir, "Hard Pushed: A Midwife’s Story", was a Sunday Times bestseller, bringing the complexity of modern midwifery into the public eye. Her next book, "Womb: The Inside Story of Where We All Began", was 2023 Scottish Book of the Year. Leah is currently working on her next book, "Birth Wars: The Hidden Battles Changing Our Bodies and Our World", which will be published by Penguin Press in 2026.