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DHSS Press Release

Dr. Kara Odom Walker, Secretary
Jill Fredel, Director of Communications
302-255-9047, Cell 302-357-7498
Email: jill.fredel@delaware.gov

DPH Media Contact:
Jennifer Brestel
302-744-4907, Cell 302-612-6223
Email: Jennifer.brestel@delaware.gov

Date: December 5, 2019
DHSS-12-2019

MEDIA ADVISORY: SIX ORGANIZATIONS TO RECEIVE MINI GRANTS TO REDUCE INFANT MORTALITY AND MATERNAL MORTALITY AND MORBIDITY

WHAT:	Six community-based organizations will be awarded mini grants to reduce infant mortality and maternal mortality and morbidity in Delaware's African American population. The initiative aims to shift the impact of social determinants of health including poverty, racism, health access, food insecurity, housing, and having a good job and a good education - all of which affect mothers and children - on infant mortality. The goal is to reduce disparate birth outcomes by building state and local capacity and testing small-scale innovative strategies.
WHO:	Delaware Department of Health and Social Services, Division of Public Health (DPH), Delaware Healthy Mother and Infant Consortium (DHMIC), and experts who are committed to improving health outcomes for women and infants and ending racial and ethnic health disparities. Confirmed speakers are: The Honorable Bethany Hall-Long, Lieutenant Governor The Honorable Melissa Minor Brown, state representative, 17th District Dr. David Paul, DHMIC Co-Chair Dr. Karyl Rattay, DPH Director
WHEN:	Tuesday, December 10, 2019, 10:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.
WHERE:	Delaware Technical Community College, Terry Campus Del One Conference Center Education and Technology Building, Building #700 100 Campus Drive Dover, DE 19901
WHY:	More than twice as many black infants in Delaware die before their first birthday than white infants. In Delaware during the period 2014-2017, there were 12.5 black infant deaths per every 100,000 live births, compared to 5.1 white infant deaths per 100,000 live births. Approximately 53 percent of pregnancy-related deaths in Delaware are preventable, according to the Delaware Child Death Review Commission's Maternal Mortality Review Report that reviewed cases from 2011 to 2017. Racial disparities in birth outcomes also extend to the mothers. In the U.S., black women die from pregnancy-related complications three to four times as often as white women. Maternal mortality rates in Delaware are on the rise, as are risk factors for pregnancy-related complications, such as obesity and high blood pressure.
VISUALS:	Mini-grant awardees Healthy Women, Healthy Babies zones (heat maps) that demonstrate areas in the state with poor maternal and infant health outcomes. Delaware Black Maternal Health Awareness infographic

About the Delaware Healthy Mother and Infant Consortium
In 2005, the Delaware Infant Mortality Task Force's final report put forth a three-year plan with 20 recommendations to reduce the high infant mortality rate in Delaware. The plan called for the creation of the Delaware Healthy Mother and Infant Consortium (DHMIC) to help ensure that stated directives were put into place. The directives include coordinating efforts to address disparities related to the health of infants and women of childbearing age; and facilitating collaborative partnerships among public health agencies, hospitals, health care practitioners, and all other interested agencies and organizations to carry out recommended infant mortality improvement strategies

DPH, a division of DHSS, urges Delawareans to make healthier choices with the 5-2-1 Almost None campaign: eat 5 or more fruits and vegetables each day, have no more than 2 hours of recreational screen time each day (includes TV, computer, gaming), get 1 or more hours of physical activity each day, and drink almost no sugary beverages.

Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware's citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations.

MEDIA ADVISORY: SIX ORGANIZATIONS TO RECEIVE MINI GRANTS TO REDUCE INFANT MORTALITY AND MATERNAL MORTALITY AND MORBIDITY

Delaware's Government