UMMC anesthesiologist represents Mississippi on global maternal safety panel at United Nations General Assembly event
JANS – University of Mississippi Medical Center anesthesiologist Dr. C. LaToya Mason joined international leaders in maternal health, surgery, and patient safety for a high-level panel discussion held during the 2026 United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York City.
The event, titled “Advancing Maternal Safety During Childbirth: Improving Recognition, Response and Care,” took place Sept. 24 at the Japan Society and brought together experts from around the world to address urgent challenges in maternal health and childbirth safety.
Hosted by the Business Council on International Understanding (BCIU), The Global Surgery Foundation, and BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), the forum focused on improving outcomes for mothers through enhanced monitoring, safer cesarean delivery practices, workforce training, and system-wide improvements in maternal care.
Dr. Mason, professor in the Department of Anesthesiology, member of the Mississippi Maternal Mortality Review Committee (MMRC), and state representative to the Society of Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology (SOAP), participated in a panel examining “Why C-Section Safety and Improved Maternal Monitoring Are a Global Priority.” The discussion explored the critical role of surgical safety, patient monitoring, and access to care in reducing maternal complications and deaths during childbirth.
Joining Dr. Mason on the panel were Dr. Geoffrey Ibbotson, executive director of The Global Surgery Foundation, and Professor Katsuo Terui, chair and professor at Saitama Medical University General Medical Center in Japan.
The event was moderated by internationally recognized journalist Femi Oke, who guided conversations on the challenges and opportunities facing maternal healthcare systems worldwide.
A second panel, “Training, Standards, and System Change for Safer Maternal Care,” featured Dr. Jean Chamberlain, senior obstetric clinical lead for The Global Surgery Foundation and professor of obstetrics and gynecology at McMaster University; Dr. Rajat Khosla, executive director of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH); and Dr. Michael J. Scott, professor and chair of anesthesiology and perioperative medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center.
Opening remarks were delivered by Tim Patz, worldwide president of Advanced Patient Monitoring at BD.
For Dr. Mason-Bolden, the opportunity highlighted the importance of bringing both clinical expertise and personal lived experience to global conversations about maternal safety. Now recovered, Dr. Mason-Bolden experienced life-threatening pregnancy-induced heart failure (medically known as peripartum cardiomyopathy) after the birth of her second child.
“Maternal mortality remains one of the most pressing health challenges facing nations around the world,” Dr. Mason-Bolden said. “Improving recognition of maternal complications, ensuring rapid response systems, and strengthening access to safe obstetric anesthesia and monitoring are critical steps in protecting mothers during childbirth.”
The discussion emphasized that while maternal health challenges vary across countries, common priorities include improving access to high-quality obstetric care, strengthening healthcare workforce training, implementing evidence-based safety standards, and expanding the use of technologies that support earlier recognition of life-threatening complications.
Dr. Mason-Bolden’s participation showcased the University of Mississippi Medical Center’s leadership in obstetric anesthesia and maternal safety initiatives. As an expert in high-risk obstetric anesthesia care, she has helped advance efforts focused on improving outcomes for women before, during, and after childbirth.
The UNGA side event underscored the growing international commitment to reducing preventable maternal deaths and ensuring that every woman has access to safe, high-quality care during one of life’s most critical moments.
As global health leaders continue to prioritize maternal health, the forum served as a reminder that collaboration across disciplines, institutions, and nations is essential to improving childbirth safety for mothers everywhere.
