Closing the Gap/Safe Motherhood Initiative
(Formerly the Prematurity Project)
SAFE MOTHERHOOD INITIATIVE COMMITTEE
The Safe Motherhood Initiative Committee aims to develop and implement education and policy initiatives to ultimately raise public awareness about prematurity and related perinatal health issues. As we move forward with our perinatal health agenda we are eager to implement a host of activities in 2004 to promote maternal and child health wellness. Primary initiatives include:
Planning for a potential lobby day/legislative breakfast in the Spring with one emphasis on periodontal disease treatment for adults in Illinois, particularly for pregnant women whose insurance does not cover periodontal disease treatment.
Planning an event around fall, preferably near Prematurity Awareness Day 11/16/04 that examines prematurity and related perinatal health data, among Chicago community areas. This event could potentially serve as a spring board for future policy and programming initiatives
**Developing ways to incorporate themes of well-woman care in our prematurity public awareness initiative to emphasize adequate care throughout a woman’s life span including pre-conceptional, prenatal and postpartum health care.
**A report was recently posted by the CDC titled “Safe Motherhood: Promoting Health for Women Before, During, and After Pregnancy.” This report provides a glance at maternal health for 2003 and reports on health disparities as well as how death rates among women after birth have not declined in 20 years. The paper also gives information on how CDC is working in partnerships to build healthier communities. This report can be accessed through the following link: http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/aag/aag_drh.htm
If you are interested in participating in the Safe Motherhood Initiative Committee or further information, please contact us at 312-491-8161 or prematurity@ilmaternal.org.
PAST COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES
