Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than their white counterparts.Panelists shared powerful personal experiences as health care providers and patients in crisis.One mother shared her story of losing her baby and fighting for her own life: “I’ve been fighting this fight for a long time. We both were on our deathbeds. My son caught E. coli because we were in labor too long. We were in labor for 41 hours in the hospital. They did not make the move to do what they needed to do to perform an emergency C-section because I was on state insurance.” Congresswoman Gwen Moore and state Sen. LaTonya Johnson hosted a panel discussion to talk about that impact in Milwaukee.”There’s no need to ponder any longer. Racism has been identified as the root cause of the Black maternal health crises globally,” maternal health care advocate Vanessa Johnson said. “Bridging those gaps and having conversations with providers, medical practitioners, and interdisciplinary teams is crucial.”Findings from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services reveal that Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women.According to the state health department, the Pregnancy-Related Mortality Ratio for non-Hispanic Black individuals in Wisconsin is nearly 2.5 times higher than that for non-Hispanic whites due to systemic racism.These disparities highlight the necessity for systemic changes in health care, such as expanding support programs, improving health care access, and training providers in implicit bias and cultural competency.The Milwaukee Elevate initiative identified factors such as lower quality education, reduced health care access, and daily stress due to racism as significant contributors to adverse pregnancy outcomes for Black/African Americans.Organizations like the Black Health Coalition of Milwaukee and the African American Breastfeeding Network, as well as events such as the Milwaukee Film Organization’s Black Birth Symposium, are actively working to raise awareness and improve outcomes.However, policy-level interventions are essential to ensure real change.
MILWAUKEE —
Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than their white counterparts.
Panelists shared powerful personal experiences as health care providers and patients in crisis.
One mother shared her story of losing her baby and fighting for her own life: “I’ve been fighting this fight for a long time. We both were on our deathbeds. My son caught E. coli because we were in labor too long. We were in labor for 41 hours in the hospital. They did not make the move to do what they needed to do to perform an emergency C-section because I was on state insurance.”
Congresswoman Gwen Moore and state Sen. LaTonya Johnson hosted a panel discussion to talk about that impact in Milwaukee.
“There’s no need to ponder any longer. Racism has been identified as the root cause of the Black maternal health crises globally,” maternal health care advocate Vanessa Johnson said. “Bridging those gaps and having conversations with providers, medical practitioners, and interdisciplinary teams is crucial.”
Findings from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services reveal that Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women.
According to the state health department, the Pregnancy-Related Mortality Ratio for non-Hispanic Black individuals in Wisconsin is nearly 2.5 times higher than that for non-Hispanic whites due to systemic racism.
These disparities highlight the necessity for systemic changes in health care, such as expanding support programs, improving health care access, and training providers in implicit bias and cultural competency.
The Milwaukee Elevate initiative identified factors such as lower quality education, reduced health care access, and daily stress due to racism as significant contributors to adverse pregnancy outcomes for Black/African Americans.
Organizations like the Black Health Coalition of Milwaukee and the African American Breastfeeding Network, as well as events such as the Milwaukee Film Organization’s Black Birth Symposium, are actively working to raise awareness and improve outcomes.
However, policy-level interventions are essential to ensure real change.
