The NAFC is grateful to be included in our partner CVS Health’s commitment to addressing maternal health disparities with a $1.74M investment, which it announced as part of today’s Biden-Harris Maternal Health Call to Action Day.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black women in the U.S. are three times more likely to die due to pregnancy-related causes compared to white women. Overall, the U.S. has the highest maternal mortality rate among developed countries; 60 percent of those deaths are likely preventable.
- National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics: Preeclampsia Prevention Initiative for Black Women ($250,000 grant from the CVS Health Foundation)
A program implemented in nine clinics across the country that provides educational and clinical training for providers to help identify women at risk for preeclampsia, high blood pressure that comes on suddenly during pregnancy. Preeclampsia, which is 60 percent more common in Black women vs. white women, is a leading, preventable cause of severe maternal morbidity, maternal death, preterm birth, and low birthweight. CVS Health began donating low-dose aspirin, an intervention recommended by medical societies that can reduce the risk of preeclampsia by more than 30 percent, for women at these clinics in July 2021.
To view the full announcement from CVS Health, please visit here.
To view the statement from the White House Briefing Room, please visit here.
