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 empowerment-centric group support and comprehensive life planning services. The harrowing reality of Black women facing higher chances of dying from pregnancy-related causes—regardless of their educational or financial standing—is at the heart of this concerted drive for change.
Rallying Around Sisters isn't just a slogan—it's a comprehensive approach to tackling high-risk pregnancies. The HeRCARe (High-Risk Care Access and Resources) team is at the vanguard, offering their expertise in maternal-fetal medicine and expanding their reach through telehealth services to remote zone residents. By ensuring that high-quality health care isn't just a privilege for those in well-connected locales, RUHS is taking a proactive stance in safeguarding the health of mothers and their babies across geographic divides.
To become a part of the conversation and track the campaign's progress, interested individuals can follow the initiative on social media platforms such as Instagram @blackinfanthealthrivco and Facebook at BlackInfantHealthofRiversideCounty. With these efforts, RUHS-PH is not just raising awareness but actively rallying a community around its most vulnerable members, one mother and infant at a time.
