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Recognizing and supporting the health and wellness of Black mamas and birthing people by acknowledging April 11 - 17, 2024, as "Black Maternal Health Week" in the City of Philadelphia.
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WHEREAS, The seventh annual national Black Maternal Health Week - themed "Our Bodies STILL belong to us: Reproductive Justice Now!" - will be held April 11 - 17, 2024. The week fosters awareness, activism, and community building intended to deepen the national conversation about Black maternal health in the United States; and
WHEREAS, According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black women in the United States are 3 to 4 times more likely than white women to die from pregnancy-related causes and are twice as likely to suffer from life-threatening pregnancy complications, known as "maternal morbidities;" and
WHEREAS, The high rates of maternal mortality among Black women span across income levels, education levels, and socioeconomic status; and
WHEREAS, Between 2013 and 2018, there were 110 pregnancy-associated deaths of Philadelphia residents at an average of 18 deaths per year. Fifty-two percent of the pregnancy-associated deaths occurred in women younger than 30; and
WHEREAS, In Philadelphia, Black women are 4 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women; and
WHEREAS, Non-Hispanic Black women made up 43% of live births in Philadelphia and accounted for 73% of the pregnancy-related deaths from 2013 to 2018 as compared to non-Hispanic white women who made up 26% of Philadelphia births and accounted for 19% of pregnancy-related deaths; and
WHEREAS, Black women have historically had the highest maternal mortality rates due to a combination of effects from institutional racism that have resulted in susceptibility to certain health conditions and lack of access to quality prenatal care; and
WHEREAS, Events for Black Maternal Health week will be held locally by the Oshun Family Center. Oshun provides racially concordant car...
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