Black women are five times more likely to die in pregnancy and childbirth than white women in the UK according to the MBRRACE UK, 2020 report on maternal deaths. It’s a shocking and unacceptable statistic that needs answers and action.
The charity, FiveXMore is dedicated to finding these answers while supporting mothers in the Black community who have faced healthcare inequalities in their journey to motherhood.
So far, their recent Government petition gained over 187,000 signatures resulting in the below response from the Department of Health and Social Care:
“The Government is funding a NIHR Policy Research Unit in Maternal and Neonatal Health and Care study into factors associated with the higher risk of maternal death for Black and South Asian women.”
On the 19th April 2021, parliament debated Black maternal healthcare for the first time ever, but one recurring theme was that Black women are often underreprestented in data. That’s why the charity are keen to find out more about the experiences and treatment that Black women recieve, to better understand their maternal health outcomes.
If you’re a black mum, you can take the Black Maternity Experience survey here.
Their latest campaign focusses on the importance of training healthcare professionals on how to take active steps to ensure safer care for Black women and that they are following the Five X More principles.
The new “I am here to listen” badge initiative is being launched in partnership with Guys and St Thomas Hospital. Staff will only receive their badge once they attend the training session.
These badges aim to act as a visual reminder for Black women to know that anyone wearing the badge has been trained by Five X More and are there to listen.
What can you do to help?
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Write to your MP - Writing to your local MP is a powerful action Black women can take. You can find all the help and advice for writing your letter here.
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Take a selfie - On social media? Share your #fivexmore selfie on your social media accounts to raise awareness making sure you tag @fivexmore_. Just search the hashtag on Instagram for some inspiration.
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Donate - The charity relies on donations and fundraising to continue their vital campaigning. You can donate to their crowd funding page here.