Riverside County Launches Maternal Health Equity Campaign to Support Black Mothers and Infants

RIVERSIDE, CA – In a ground-breaking effort to slash the grim statistics of maternal fatalities among Black women, the Riverside University Health System – Public Health (RUHS-PH) has unveiled a maternal health equity campaign, taking direct aim at the stark racial disparities in pregnancy-related outcomes. The initiative, “Rallying Around Sisters: Redefining & Strengthening the Village,” focuses on upping the ante on awareness and usage of complimentary services like prenatal education, doula services, breastfeeding support, and classes for dads on positive parenting. “Riverside County has numerous resources available to ensure a healthy pregnancy and early child development and we hope more women will take advantage of them,” Stephanie Bryant, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health Director for RUHS-PH, stated emphatically. Bryant’s remark throws a spotlight on the pressing need to level the playing field for Black mothers-to-be and their infants, who are contending with daunting odds. According to a report published on RUHS-PH’s website, infants born to Black mothers face a doubled risk of dying within their first year when pitted against their peers from other ethnicities. The campaign is standing on the shoulders of the Perinatal Equity Initiative and Black Infant Health program, joining forces with San Bernardino County to provide...