Let's continue from last week! Remember we were discussing disparities women of color face when giving birth.
“It’s no surprise that Black maternal death increased,” says Margo Snipe, a writer covering the Black Maternal Health crisis for nonprofit organization Capital B. “There is a systemic disinvestment in Black maternal health, a disinvestment in rural health.” Snipe spent a year researching the Black maternal health crisis in Georgia and learned that a combination of factors causes a high amount of negative birth outcomes for Black families.
In her report, Snipe says, “Despite advancements in medicine and technology, racial disparities in who dies and who suffers the worst complications have persisted for decades. Black women make up most of Georgia’s maternal deaths. They are also nearly twice as likely as white women to experience life-threatening complications as a result of childbirth, such as hemorrhage, infection, and cardiac issues.”
According to Snipe, it is imperative we step back and look at the bigger picture. Birth and postpartum complications can be personal, but Snipe encourages us to pan out because “Black women will beat themselves up for their own outcomes, but this is a very systemic issue. We don’t realize all of the systemic issues at play. It’s so easy for hospitals to close and for difficult for maternal care to open.”
“It is a failure in Georgia’s health care system,” Snipe says in her report. “Implement a demanding process to open new health care facilities, institute few regulations around when facilities shut down, and let Black communities suffer the most extreme consequences.”
So, what are we to do?
Snipe encourages Black families to share our stories. “A lot of people are going through this alone. People need to know it’s not only them who are going through these issues.”
Snipe encourages us to know the facts surrounding Black maternal health in our own states to stay on top of the latest data. We also recommend supporting local organizations that are involved in advocating for Black families.
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