Black Maternal Health Week (BMHW) is a week-long campaign founded and led by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance (BMMA). This year, the event will be celebrated April 11-17. In the United States, Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women, and the CDC notes that 80% of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable (CDC, 2024). There are many health implications to Black maternal health, including increased risk for mental health conditions, preterm births, cardiovascular disease, and conditions impacting reproductive health such as cancers, fibroids, and sickle cell.
This year, BMHW will highlight the power of Black-led perinatal, maternal, and reproductive health organizations driving systemic change. It was founded to amplify the voices, perspectives, and experiences of “Black Mamas”. The term “Black Mamas” is used by the BMMA to represent the diversity of the experiences lived by people of African descent (Afro-Latinx, African-American, Afro-Caribbean, Black, and African Immigrant). This year’s theme honors the resilience of Black Mamas. It highlights the need for change through collaboration and community engagement, and it fosters the need for community healing with the goal of advancing Black maternal health equity.
For BMHW, we want to highlight two of the Foundation’s exceptional programs: Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) and Healthy Start.
NFP is a home-visiting program where families are matched with their own free, personal nurse who make regular home visits, starting from early in pregnancy until the baby is two years old. It is dedicated to supporting women and teens by promoting healthy pregnancies and birth outcomes, improving children’s health and development, and building families’ economic self-sufficiency.
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This program is for pregnant people, expectant fathers, the family and children up to 18 months. Services include: care coordination based on need, health education, legal information, and housing support resources. Education focuses on health, pregnancy, parenting, early childhood development, life skills, financial literacy, and management.
