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“APRIL IS MINORITY
HEALTH MONTH”
Minority Health Month (MHM) was
created in Ohio in April 1989. Minority Health Month was
designed to be a 30-day inclusive, high visibility, wellness
campaign. In 2000, MHM became a national celebration. The
goals are to provide crucial information to allow
individuals to practice disease prevention. This article is
being provided to bring awareness to our most vulnerable
population! THE BABIES!
WAKE UP TOLEDO, OUR BLACK
BABIES ARE DYING
By
Celeste Smith, April Snelling,
Carly Miller
The priority here should and can
be that EVERY Toledo/Lucas county woman has
the opportunity to deliver a healthy full-term baby who
lives to celebrate a first birthday. Disparities in health
outcomes by race and ethnicity and by income status are very
difficult to reduce. For a long time infant mortality rates
have been 2 to 3 times higher among African American
populations. This along with other disparities have
remained despite the recognized realization that inequities
cost our economy billions of dollars per year.
Currently, Ohio ranks 47th
in the country in Infant Mortality, but ranks 50th
(dead last) in Black Infant Mortality. Current data
reflects being Black, regardless of socioeconomic status or
education level puts you at a higher risk of having a baby
be born preterm, at a low birth weight, or even dying before
the age of 1. You ask, Why are Babies Dying? Most of the
cause is related to the “Social Determinants of Health”,
which are the conditions in which people are born, grow,
live, work and age, shaped by the distribution of money,
power, and resources at global, national and local levels
which are themselves influenced by policy choices. In other
words where you live, work, play and pray makes a tremendous
impact on your health.
Some of the risk factors that
contribute to having a poor birth outcome are having had a
prior poor birth outcome, chronic medical condition, being
African American, low income, uninsured, homelessness,
domestic violence, late entry into prenatal care, no
transportation, substance use, smoking/tobacco use, and
being less than 17 years of age or over 35.
ALL HOPE IS NOT LOST…TOLEDO
THERE IS HELP!
Toledo is working with 8 other
cities across the state of Ohio on a project called the Ohio
Equity Institute. This three year statewide collaborative
of key partners is working to promote the work of local
public health departments in Ohio and their multi-sector,
community partners. The project is currently in the second
year. In 2014, The Toledo-Lucas County Ohio Equity
Institute team (also known as Getting to One) has
accomplished many tasks. By examining the data on infant
deaths in our community, it was determined that the main
root causes of infant mortality in Lucas County stemmed from
three issues – unsafe sleep environments, poor preconception
and interconception health (health of the mother before she
gets pregnant and between pregnancies), and racism as a
social determinant of health. In order to more effectively
develop initiatives targeting these areas, our community
coalition split into subcommittees. Some of the great work
that has evolved includes securing a safe sleep grant from
the SIDS Network of Ohio to train safe sleep ambassadors in
zip codes most affected by infant mortality in Lucas County,
a five week series on infant mortality on channel 13 ABC/WTVG
television show Bridges with Host Doni Miller, and adding
safe sleep informational brochures in with every birth
certificate for babies 0-24months. Lastly, the Toledo-Lucas
County team added a new co-lead, Celeste Smith.
The Toledo-Lucas County Health
Department, in collaboration with the Hospital Council of
Northwest Ohio and the University of Toledo was awarded a
Healthy Start grant from the US Department of Health and
Human Services Health Resources and Services
Administration. This is a 5 year grant that will work to
decrease disparities in Infant Mortality in Lucas County by
focusing on African American women of childbearing age.
The burning question
that you are currently asking yourself “How Do I Get
Involves?” Become an active
member in the Toledo-Lucas County Commission on Minority
Health Advisory Committee. The meetings are held monthly on
every third Wednesday of the month. Become an active member
of the Getting to One Initiative. Join one of the two
Subcommittees, Preconception and Safe Sleep, or Racism as a
Social Determinant of Health. For more information
regarding this article or to get involved, please call the
Office on Minority Health 419-213-4095. |
