Hear Her® American Indian/Alaska Native Campaign

Hear Her®, a CDC communications campaign launched in 2020, supports CDC’s efforts to prevent pregnancy-related deaths by sharing potentially life-saving messages about urgent maternal warning signs. The campaign amplifies the stories of women who have experienced complications during or after pregnancy and encourages partners, friends, family and healthcare providers to really listen when a person who is pregnant or postpartum shares concerns and help get them the care they need. Acting quickly could save a life.

This Hear Her® campaign includes culturally appropriate resources designed with and for American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) people, who are twice as likely to die of pregnancy-related causes than White women. AIAN people often experience discrimination or racism and face barriers to care including higher rates of poverty and long distance to quality healthcare services. The Hear Her® team worked with AIAN creative experts and partners to develop these assets that share key messages while reflecting the strength and diversity of AIAN communities.

Resources include:

  • Video testimonials from American Indian women who experienced pregnancy-related complications. One of the participants noted, “This video speaks volumes. I am so satisfied and grateful that my story will be shared.”
  • Conversation guides, palm cards and posters that help AIAN pregnant and postpartum people and their circles of support recognize urgent maternal warning signs and encourage them to seek the care they need.
  • Materials to support healthcare professionals who serve AIAN communities in their delivery of respectful, culturally appropriate care.

It is quite touching, and indeed I am a little tearful, that I have been able to witness a nationwide campaign targeting American Indian and Alaska Native women through the Hear Her campaign. As you know, very little data exists on our population for a number of reasons, but essentially, the overwhelming message is that our voices and experiences are not important. The Hear Her campaign was an action that contradicts those messages. Our voices are important. -- Janelle Palacious, PhD, CNM (Salish & Kootenai), American Indian nurse midwife

The campaign team is utilizing digital and social media, including AIAN-serving channels, to further the reach of these new resources. 

Learn more about the campaign and available resources at CDC.gov/HearHer/AIAN. 
 

Hear Her® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The Hear Her® campaign resources for American Indian and Alaska Native communities are supported through partnership and funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Minority Health, as well as a partnership with the CDC Foundation, with support from Merck through its Merck for Mothers Program.

For Activities taking place from 2023 - 2024: The Hear Her® American Indian/Alaska Native Campaign Development and Implementation project is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $700,000 with 100 percent funded by CDC/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, CDC/HHS, or the U.S. Government.

Program Description: To build capacity and support the development, implementation and evaluation of materials for the Hear Her® campaign.
Funding Partners:
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Program Location:
  • United States of America
Maternal and Child Health
Chronic Disease & Birth Defects
Maternal Health
A pregnant woman in a red sweater walks on the beach with a friend wearing an overcoast
A woman in a white tee and beige overalls holds a baby wrapped in a Native American patterned swaddle.