The Human Development Index has always played a crucial role in measuring the health situations and socio-economic progress of every society. When it comes to maternal and child health, greater emphasis is paid to ensuring the key dimensions and indicators which are the life expectancy index and the life expectancy at birth continue to move in an upward trajectory.

While healthcare delivery continues to improve for many developed countries, it is worrisome that several families, especially among the Black communities continue to experience disparity in the delivery of quality healthcare.

Ensuring quality healthcare for all requires a multi-layered approach that must address the systemic issues ingrained in the system as well as the biases that exist outside.  

Maternal / Prenatal / Child Care:

A healthy mother translates to a healthy child and this forms the first stage in offering prenatal care. Unfortunately, Black women experience impediments to receiving quality prenatal services.

In a report done by BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth Journal which focused on “addressing racial disparities in perinatal care for African American/Black individuals in the Chicago community health setting”, published in 2022 the report highlights that “barriers to receiving adequate perinatal care are especially pronounced for Black individuals and stem from multiple levels of influence (e.g., individual, interpersonal, structural). 

These barriers include systems barriers, structural barriers, psychosocial barriers, and low health literacy, among others”. It goes further to state that “structural racism, such as in the form of residential redlining and cumulative stress from racism, is thought to be a significant contributing factor to maternal morbidity and mortality in Black persons”

Other socio-economic factors such as poverty, unemployment, lack of insurance, and lack of access to health centers in proximity to Black communities also contribute to poor prenatal services.

Offering community-based support programs that provide access to prenatal education, offer immediate priority responses to pregnant Black mothers as well as provide continuous care can go a long way in ensuring equity in healthcare services to Black families.

Investing in early childhood development through the provision of access to pediatric care, healthcare education for children, and advocating for policies that require health facilities to prioritize the provision of adequate nutritional requirements for child development would also improve the health outcomes for the Black child.

Likewise, addressing systemic racism within the healthcare system and endeavoring to build trust between healthcare practitioners and Black mothers can go a long way to improve the health and well-being of both mother and child.

This is vital, especially in improving maternal health among Black women. 

The high maternal rates among Black women have become a worrying factor and require a holistic approach that looks at both the medical and social factors that lead to high maternal death.

According to the BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth Journal report, it highlighted that the “mortality rates in Black people account for one-third of all pregnancy-related deaths in the US and are more than three times higher than those of Non-Hispanic White (NHW) persons. 

Pregnancy-related complications are closely tied to infant morbidity and mortality. Preterm birth is a significant cause of racial disparities in infant mortality, and preterm birth rates are 50% more common in Black persons compared with NHW persons in the US and have risen by 3% in Black persons since 2014. Preterm birth as well as other factors contribute to a 2.5 times greater infant mortality rate in Black infants compared with NHW infants”.

To ensure equity in maternal health outcomes, some countries in Africa not only offer prenatal and postpartum care to pregnant women but also ensure the services come at no cost to these nursing mothers.

For developed countries, approaching the medical and social determinants of health through policy formation can go a long way to ensure equity in healthcare, a reduction in maternal deaths, and addressing social inequities. 

Optimal health outcomes for all irrespective of race are possible with the combined effort of community stakeholders, policymakers, and healthcare providers. By working together to address the disparities, they can ensure that the resources needed to ensure equity in healthcare, especially for Black communities are readily available.

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 Okechukwu Nzeribe works with the Onitsha Chamber of Commerce, in Anambra State, Nigeria, and loves unveiling the richness of African cultures.  [email protected]

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