BC Environmental and Occupational Health Research Network

CIHR funds a great deal of research in both reproductive and child health, but far less attention has been given to maternal health, even though mothers assume a large responsibility for bearing and raising children, and even though there is a direct connection between the health of the mother and the health of her offspring.
To address this gap, IHDCYH, IGH, and IAPH organized a consensus workshop with key stakeholders (including researchers, clinicians, health care providers, and policy makers) to establish priorities in maternal health research and the appropriate funding tools to pursue those priorities. Based on in-depth discussions during the workshop, four priority research areas relevant to maternal health were identified:
• Determinants and consequences of maternal health disparities across the life course
• The relationship of pregnancy and its complications to subsequent maternal physical and/or mental health
• Health systems, health care models, and health human resources
• Pathways to positive maternal health: interventions, actions and policies