Public Health sits down for Supervisor Ellenberg’s podcast
Data show a wide range of health conditions disproportionately impacting African/African Ancestry mothers and babies. This is not just a Santa Clara County problem, but a nationwide problem. African Ancestry families experience the highest rates of infant mortality, preterm birth, and severe maternal morbidity, among several other serious conditions and outcomes.
The County of Santa Clara Public Health Department works with partners to address the root cause of these inequities and to create a village to wrap around expectant and new moms. Kamilah Davis, the Program Coordinator for the Perinatal Equity Initiative at Public Health, discussed the topic on County Supervisor Susan Ellenberg’s podcast.
"It is preventable. The CDC said across the country 80% of maternal deaths are preventable, so the solutions are things like implicit bias training and supporting black women while they are birthing and afterwards, like some of our programs do here in Santa Clara County,” Davis said in the podcast episode.
Public Health recently published a new data story titled “African/African Ancestry Maternal and Infant Health Outcomes,” highlighting the numbers and efforts the county is taking to address these disparities.
Source: County of Santa Clara Public Health Department