Advancing Equity in Maternal and Reproductive Healthcare

Dear Colleagues,

Despite decades of global commitments to improve maternal and reproductive health, deep inequities persist within and across countries. Structural and systemic barriers—rooted in social determinants of health, gender norms, poverty, racism, displacement, and discrimination—continue to shape who survives pregnancy, who has autonomy over their reproductive choices, and who receives respectful, high-quality care. Recent global health crises, funding fluctuations, and rapid digital transformations have further exposed and, in many cases, widened these disparities.

Advancing equity in maternal and reproductive healthcare requires moving beyond documenting disparities toward dismantling the root causes that perpetuate them. This involves generating contextually grounded evidence, amplifying community and patient voices, and implementing actionable strategies that bridge policy and practice. Interdisciplinary collaboration—spanning nursing, medicine, midwifery, public health, social sciences, and health systems engineering—is essential to address inequities across the continuum of care, from preconception to postpartum and across generations.

The aim of this Special Issue, “Advancing Equity in Maternal and Reproductive Healthcare,” is to highlight innovative research, implementation strategies, and policy insights that contribute to more just and inclusive health systems. We invite scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to share evidence and experiences that illuminate pathways to achieving equity in maternal and reproductive health outcomes globally.

We seek studies that engage diverse populations and contexts—particularly those historically marginalized or underserved—including racial and ethnic minorities, refugees, adolescents, sexual and gender minorities, and rural or low-resource communities. We also welcome analyses of how health systems, digital technologies, financing, and policy reforms can address inequities and strengthen resilience in maternal and reproductive care.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Social and structural determinants of maternal and reproductive health inequities;
• Intersectionality and gender equity in healthcare access and outcomes;
• Healthcare system innovations to improve the quality, accessibility, and continuity of maternal care;
• Digital health and telehealth approaches for equitable service delivery using technology;
• Health workforce diversity, training, and retention in maternal and reproductive health;
• Community-based and participatory approaches to improving care and autonomy;
• Faith-informed, cultural, or behavioral interventions for reproductive health decision-making;
• Health economics, financing, and policy analyses on equitable service provision;
• Effects of humanitarian crises, migration, and displacement on maternal and reproductive health;
• Ethical and rights-based frameworks for reproductive healthcare delivery and research.

We welcome diverse methodologies including literature reviews, cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, qualitative and mixed-methods research, and randomized controlled trials.

We invite authors to contribute manuscripts that expand understanding, inform practice, and influence policy toward equitable maternal and reproductive healthcare. Submissions should emphasize methodological rigor, innovation, and relevance to healthcare providers, systems, and policy audiences.

This Special Issue will serve as a multidisciplinary platform for sharing cutting-edge insights and practical solutions aimed at ensuring that all women and birthing people—regardless of race, socioeconomic status, nationality, or geography—have the opportunity to experience safe, dignified, and high-quality care.

We look forward to your participation.

Dr. Michelle Munro-Kramer
Dr. Haeun Grace Lee
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Healthcare is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• maternal health
• reproductive health
• contraception
• family planning
• gender-based violence
• global health