Amani Echols, MPH
Policy and Government Affairs Manager
aechols@amchp.org
(202) 266-3039
she/her

Background & Bio
Amani Echols (she/her) is the Policy and Government Affairs Manager on the Government Affairs Team. Amani completed her MPH in Health Management and Policy from the University of Michigan. There, she also earned her bachelor’s degree in Community and Global Public Health and a minor in Gender and Health through the Women’s Studies Department.

Amani has rich maternal and child health experience in her home state of Michigan, with past positions in the University of Michigan’s hospital-based doula program, the Michigan Region Nine Perinatal Quality Collaborative, and the Michigan Department of Health’s Maternal Mortality Surveillance Program. Amani also has a strong background in health equity and reproductive justice. Outside of work, Amani completed a pregnancy loss and termination doula training and is a Volunteer Case Manager at the DC Abortion Fund.

My Current Work
Amani is the Manager of Policy and Government Affairs. In this role, she serves as a core member of the Public Policy & Government Affairs team in which she executes AMCHP’s legislative agenda, supports AMCHP’s policy advocacy, represents AMCHP in various policy coalitions, and provides education and technical assistance to states on program and policy levers to improve maternal and child health.

Previously at AMCHP, Amani worked on the PRISM (Promoting Innovation in State MCH Policymaking) grant through HRSA. Under the PRISM project, Amani advanced discussion and education on women of reproductive age with mental health and substance use disorders by writing issue briefs, providing policy technical assistance to states, and chairing the internal AMCHP mental health committee. Amani also led the development of the special issue in the Maternal and Child Health Journal. The special issue builds on the literature to increase the capacity of Title V leaders and their state and local partners to advance program and policies that supports the needs of perinatal people with mental health and substance use disorders.

Ask Me About
Maternal and child health policy, perinatal mental health and substance use, and access to the full spectrum of reproductive healthcare. Activities that energize me outside of work are basketball, aerial yoga, long walks, and cooking/baking.