Improving the treatment & support made available to Black mothers.
Creating safe and empowering spaces for Black mums
Impact on Urban Health are partnering with The Motherhood Group to support work creating safe and empowering spaces for Black mums whilst delivering training and advocacy opportunities.
Racial bias in the health system is a key barrier to Black and other racially minoritised communities accessing support. As findings from the MMBRACE UK 2020 report highlights Black women are four times more likely to die in pregnancy than white women. Statistics also suggest that postnatal depression in Black mothers is 13% higher than any other race, although a review of data from across the UK found that white women are more likely to be offered treatment for postnatal depression and anxiety than Black or Asian women. This disproportionate impact on racially minoritised mothers also impacts their children’s ability to thrive as poor perinatal mental health can also have a long-term impact on children’s wellbeing.
Aims of the Partnership
1. Support The Motherhood Group to continue shining a light on the role race plays in motherhood.
Specifically, the trauma experienced by so many trying to navigate a system that is structurally racist.
2. Address issues of unequal access to appropriate, safe healthcare for Black mothers.
This goes beyond geographical proximity and availability, it also requires services to speak people’s language, to be relevant to people’s lives, to be culturally and historically sensitive, and to be respectful and understanding of the experiences and struggles people have gone through
3. Learn more about how trust is built.
Understand if investing in trusted support can help families feel safer when interacting with the health system more widely, and therefore improve children and parent’s mental health longer term
4. Drive research that centres and respects Black mother’s voices.
The Motherhood Group is working to bridge the gap between healthcare services and the knowledge of families in Lambeth and Southwark
5. Support The Motherhood Group to continue building advocacy power and solidarity,
As they campaign for wider system change
6. Ensure that Black women’s mental and physical health needs are being met.
