Black Maternal Health Week
April 11-17, 2023
Black Maternal Health Week is a week of awareness, activism, and community-building aimed at amplifying the voices of Black women and birthing people and bringing visibility to Black-led maternal health initiatives, and centering the values and traditions of the reproductive and birth justice movements.
This year marks the 6th annual Black Maternal Health Week (BMHW). Founded by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance (BMMA), BMHW is recognized as part of the observation of National Minority Health Month.
BMMA uses the phrase “BLACK MAMAS” to represent the full diversity of our lived experiences that includes birthing persons (cis women, trans folks, and gender expansive individuals) that are people of African descent across the diaspora (Afro-Latinx, AfricanAmerican, Afro-Caribbean, Black, and African Immigrant).
CHC: Creating Healthier Communities is proud to join this movement led by BMMA in centering Black women’s scholarship, maternity care work, and advocacy.
Join us as we recognize Black Maternal Health Week :
- Join us as we participate in a BMMA Twitter chat on Tuesday, April 11, at 12pm EST. Follow hashtags #BMHW23, #BlackMaternalHealthWeek and #BlackMamasMatter.
- Stay connected for updates regarding our partnership with Elevance Health Foundation. Learn more about our Black Birthing Initative.
- Read our latest thought-leadership content and health equity posts, including content discussing rises in preterm births, detrimental effects of a lack of medical illustrations showing Black women and community partner spotlights highlighting the work of our collaboratives.
Deep-rooted inequities in Black maternal health
The latest statistics on Black maternal health highlight ongoing crisis that will not be mitigated without addressing the social determinants of health that contribute to these disparities.
- The most recent March of Dimes report shows that the number of preterm births increased from 364,487 to 383,082 for women of all races in 2022.
- Black and Native American women are 62% more likely to have a preterm birth and their babies are twice as likely to die as compared to White women.
- Black women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than White women.
- Each year in the US, about 700 women die from pregnancy-related causes. About 2 in 3 deaths are preventable.
Attend local and virtual events, download the BMMA Black Maternal Health Week toolkit, and learn more about this year's theme, “Our Bodies Belong to Us: Restoring Black Autonomy and Joy!”
