RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia will observe its first Black Maternal Health Week from April 11-17.
The initiative aims to shed light on the significant disparity for Black women in surviving childbirth and pregnancy. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, African-American women are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women.
Raising awareness is crucial, advocates say, to ensure that Black mothers are heard and receive proper care, as this also affects the lives of their babies. The infant mortality rate for Black women is more than double that for white women.
Virginia Del. Destiny Levere-Bolling, who tragically lost her firstborn, emphasized the importance of adequate medical advice. "I believe in my heart of hearts that if I had received proper medical advice, I would have my son here with me," she said.
Levere-Bolling and her husband were initially filled with hope after a long invitro fertilization process, but midway through her campaign last year, that hope turned to grief.
"To lose out on the joy of becoming a mother to a living child — I still consider myself a mom, but to become a mother to a living child, that was taken away from me," she shared.
The painful experience prompted Levere-Bolling to advocate for legislation to establish Black Maternal Health Week in Virginia, recognizing the urgent need to address racial disparities in maternal health.
"No woman or birthing person should enter the birthing setting and not survive," Cheryl Bellamy, President of the Association of Women's Health Obstetrics and Neonatal Nurses said. She stressed the need for diverse workforces, improved healthcare access, and training to ensure equitable treatment.
"Those include team training such as simulation, respectful care conversations, unconscious bias training, and also involving the patient in the care practices that occur," Bellamy added.
As work continues to address disparities, it's clear the road forward remains a challenge. "I was almost gone, in addition to our child also being gone at the time, so something's gotta be done, lives matter and it’s time our healthcare system takes more care," Levere-Bolling added.
This Friday, the US Health and Human Services Black Maternal Health Summit will convene to discuss strategies to improve outcomes. The event runs 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and is open to all. Head here for more info: https://www.hhs.gov/live/live-1/index.html.
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