Black Maternal Health Week is held annually from April 11-19 and the theme is: “Our Bodies Belong to Us: Restoring Black Autonomy and Joy!” The Black Mamas Matter Alliance (BMMA) established and oversees the BMHW weeklong campaign, which aims to increase community development, advocacy, and awareness of the issues that Black mothers and those who give birth face; enrich the dialogue surrounding Black maternal health; promote solutions, policies, and research; and increase community involvement. The month of April is recognized in the United States as National Minority Health Month – a month-long initiative to advance health equity across the country on behalf of all racial and ethnic minorities. Every year, the week begins on April 11 to coincide with the International Day for Maternal Health and Rights which provides an opportunity to promote the abolition of maternal mortality worldwide and to put the beliefs and practices of the movements for reproductive and birth justice.
BMMA continues to highlight and center culturally-congruent practices, with a focus on Black Midwifery care and full-spectrum Black-led Doula care as sensible, evidence-based solutions. It is critical that these approaches and solutions take into account the demands, aspirations, and goals of Black women and those who give birth.
Breastfeeding is protective of maternal and infant health across the life course.In comparison to Asian newborns (90.8%), non-Hispanic White infants (85.3%), and Hispanic infants (83.0%), non-Hispanic Black infants (74.1%) are less likely to have ever been breastfed. A crucial public health strategy to reduce mother and newborn mortality and morbidity is to increase breastfeeding rates in Black communities. These discrepancies and inequities have their roots in systemic racism, unequal access to resources and assistance, and a lack of diversity in the breastfeeding workforce. 
In order to analyze racial injustices and inequality in breastfeeding, we first need to identify the historical, sociocultural, political, and economic causes that have traditionally supported them.
Continue reading at: 
Achieving Breasfeeding Equity
Racial and Ethnic Differences in Breasfeeding
Black Maternal Health Week
 

Dr. Virginia Alexander was born in 1899 in South Philadelphia. Dr. Alexander graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1920 and soon started medical school at the Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania. Dr. Alexander did her internship and residency at Kansas City Colored Hospital after having a difficult time finding a position as a Black female doctor post graduation. Once she finished her residency, Dr. Alexander went back to Philadelphia and began treating patients free of charge from her home to combat racism encountered in health care. 
Dr. Alexander earned a master's degree in public health from Yale University. She conducted a study that revealed the impact that systemic racism has in health disparities. Due to the appalling results of her research, Dr. Alexander dedicated her life to advocating and fighting for the health of those who lacked the fair accessibility and affordability to quality care. 
During WWII Dr. Alexander volunteered to go to Birmingham, Alabama to care for coal and iron miners that lived in poverty and were left without medical care during the war. It was then that she developed Lupus and died in 1949. 
Dr. Alexander we remember you and continue to carry the torch to bring to light the ongoing issues of systemic racism in our society. 
If you would like to read more about Dr. Alexander's amazing and inspiring work click or tap the link below. 
https://cfmedicine.nlm.nih.gov/physicians/biography_5.html

 

Following National Nutrition Month in March, here is a brief summary of our 2022 Healthy Savannah Community Survey nutrition responses. 
Our goal is to support strategies that build healthy food banks and pantries, strive for healthier faith communities, and improve the access and affordability to fresh produce. Forsyth Farmers Market continues to be a leading resource in Savannah/Chatham County by creating the beautiful strategy of FarmTruck 912. A total of 66% of respondents have heard about or used the market and 26% currently purchase healthy food from FFM’s FarmTruck 912 and 75% would like to. If you would like to learn more about the Farm Truck 912 strategy carried out by FFM, tap or click the link below

March 21st we celebrated our Healthy Walk three-year anniversary! We had a great and chilly walk at the Truman Linear Park Trail. The entire team joined and a few others tagged along! Thank you Carriage Trade PR and WSAV for joining! We all wore two different colored socks in support of World Down Syndrome Day! Our healthy walks have become quite popular in the community and everyone is welcome to walk with us. Join us on Tuesdays @ 7:30am, walk in your neighborhood and catch us on our Facebook live feed!
Check us out on WSAV News!
 

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