The Yonkers-based organization Sister to Sister International (STSI) held a “Day of Awareness, Education, and Action” on Saturday, which also included events to address health disparities affecting the Black community.
Black maternal and child health was one of the topics of the day. The organization and its community partners hosted a fireside chat with three medical experts: Uche Blackstock, Ph.D., Stephanie Lovinksy Desir, M.D., and Chiatogu Onyewu, M.D., to discuss how health disparities impact Black lives. We discussed the impact.
“We want the public to listen and learn about the deep inequities in our health care system and the negative impact on Black and communities of color,” Cheryl Brannan, founder and executive director of STSI, said in an email. “I think so,” he said in an email.
“It was a very powerful event,” said Chiatogu Onyewu, MD, STSI board member and fireside chat moderator. “We were in a space where the collective was really on the same page in a kind of holistic way about health and wellness and progress for Black and brown communities.
“It was really cool and special to be a part of that,” Oneyu said.
Disparities and Black maternal health
There is a long history of health disparities affecting Black and brown communities, highlighted by Saturday's event. Blackstock weaves some of this history and its modern-day implications into his conversation in his book, Legacy: Black Physicians Consider Racism in Healthcare.
“We know what happens to Black people who give birth,” Blackstock said, adding, “When they work with a health care system that doesn't make their voices heard, are their concerns minimized?” Ignored. But before they get there, a lot happens.
Blackstock continued: “The stress of living with everyday racism can wear our bodies down, making us more susceptible to chronic disease and ultimately complications during pregnancy and childbirth. ” he continued.
The idea that everyday racism affects people's health was introduced by Dr. Arlin Jeronimus in the 1990s. Initially ignored, the concept has gained attention as more people think about the health disparities that exist between Black, brown, and white communities.
One of those disparities occurs in birth outcomes for Black people. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of 2021, Black women who are pregnant or within 42 days after the end of a pregnancy (“related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management)” ” He was dead. This rate is 2.6 times higher than for non-Hispanic white women.
The importance of defending rights regarding health disparities
Saturday's conversation was an opportunity for community members to learn about health disparities, such as differences in mortality rates between black and white childbirths, and consider actions needed to improve outcomes.
“We're dealing with a systemic problem,” Blackstock said. “And we're asking people on a personal level to arm themselves when they seek medical care and when they feel most vulnerable, basically like going to war. It's not fair. is.”
Such issues have received the attention of the federal government. During the 2023-2024 session, lawmakers will focus on maternal health, with “particular emphasis on racial and ethnic minority groups, veterans, and other vulnerable populations,” according to a Congressional brief. Introduced HR 3305: Black Maternal and Child Health Act to improve outcomes. invoice.
Despite the systemic issues that contribute to health disparities, Blackstock said there are some things birthing people can consider on an individual level to advocate for themselves.
“What kind of environment do they want to give birth in?” Blackstock emphasized that there are multiple options for care models. “Do you want a health care provider who has a more holistic view of what the birth process is like? Or is it more medicalized? Do you want an unmedicated birth? Or would you like to have a drugged birth?”
Ultimately, STSI's recent Day of Awareness, Education, and Action provided a space for those interested in addressing health disparities to connect, interact, and support each other.
Moderator Dr. Stephanie Rovinsky Desir, chief of pediatric pulmonology at Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital at Columbia University Medical Center, said, “For Black birthing people, knowing that they don't have to go through these difficult experiences alone. I think it's important to receive it.” For Saturday fireside chats.
“It's important to surround yourself with advocates who will support you on your journey,” Rovinski Desir continued. So it's good to have someone who will always support you. ”
