March of Dimes, the nation’s leader in the fight for the health of all moms and babies, and The Humana Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Humana Inc. are working together to address the racial disparities and social determinants of health that contribute to the U.S. maternal and infant health crisis. March of Dimes and The Humana Foundation will support communities across the U.S. in building cross-sector alliances that alleviate social and structural systems of inequities and implementing solutions that improve maternal and infant health. By sharing local data and best practices, March of Dimes will create a national network of support that can help drive systemic change to end the health equity gap affecting moms and babies across the country.
The Humana Foundation invested $3 million in this partnership as part of its $50 million commitment to providing immediate and long-term relief and recovery to communities disproportionately affected by COVID-19. The initiative will focus on six communities across the U.S. where Humana and The Humana Foundation are already working together with partners to improve health and well-being.
“Our fight to end maternal and infant mortality and morbidity cannot be achieved without closing the health equity gap,” said Stacey D. Stewart, President and CEO at March of Dimes. “Through this partnership with The Humana Foundation, we will take action to support system changes that lead to real measurable improvements in health, as well as a fair and just opportunity for health for all moms and babies.”
The U.S. remains among the most dangerous developed nations for childbirth—especially for communities of color. Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes, and Black babies are twice as likely to die before their first birthday compared to their White counterparts. Systemic racial injustice affects not only health care, but also social determinants of overall health (i.e. access to food, education, housing, jobs). These factors, together with the direct experience of racial discrimination and unequal treatment, built and continue to build a health equity gap that is directly and negatively impacting moms and babies of color.
“The COVID-19 health crisis exposed needs that the most vulnerable among us were experiencing before the pandemic began and has intensified those needs, especially for those disproportionately affected by the virus,” said Walter D. Woods, CEO of The Humana Foundation. “By addressing social determinants of health and systemic racial inequity, we hope to close the health equity gap for mothers and children across the country.”
—
Photo Credit: Rawpixel.com / Shutterstock.com