City Council passes resolution to support Black mothers, infants

WCMH
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Columbus City Council passed a resolution Monday recognizing the week starting April 11 as Black Maternal Health Week.

The resolution also recognized the work CelebrateOne does to promote healthcare equity in central Ohio.

CelebrateOne is a local non-profit organization working to lower the infant mortality rate. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), roughly five infants die in the United States per every 1,000 births, and CelebrateOne said the odds are much worse for Black women.

According to the non-profit, Black women are roughly three times more likely to die due to pregnancy-related issues than their white peers, and 80% of those deaths are said to be preventable.

Meanwhile, African American babies in Franklin County are dying at twice the rate of white babies.

Danielle Tong, executive director of CelebrateOne, said passing this resolution is a good step in reaching health equity.

“I’m hoping to uplift this issue for all Black women,” she said. “So, for me, this is an honor as a Black woman, as a Black mother, and I want all Black women and their families to feel the same way. This is for us tonight.”

During Monday’s meeting, leadership with CelebrateOne said in order to combat the racial disparities in maternal pregnancy health, more diversity is needed in the medical field.

Also in attendance at the meeting was NBC4 anchor Jennifer Bullock. Jennifer is a passionate advocate for maternal health whose family started the foundation Miles’ Mission, which aims to enhance awareness and provide resources for families like hers who experience infant loss.

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