Black Maternal Health Week is observed every year from April 11 to 17.

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The week is used as a national call to action to raise awareness of racial disparities in maternal health, particularly among Black women.

In Chicago, Black women are six times more likely to die during pregnancy, or within one year after birth, than white women, according to a report.

This disparity is often attributed to factors like economic hardship, disparities in access to quality obstetric care, and systemic racism within the healthcare system. To make matters worse, most of these deaths are preventable.

Michelle Adeniyi from the March of Dimes visited ABC7 Chicago talk about what we can do to support Black mothers.

March of Dimes is also hosting an educational webinar called, “Elevating Black Maternal Health: Advocacy & Solutions.” The online event is Wednesday, April 16 from 6:30 P.M. to 8:30 P.M. To learn more about the event, click here.

Multiple events are happening this week to help share information on Black maternal health.