Last month, on 25 April, the UK’s first ever All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) meeting on Black maternal health was held after a campaign by Five X More. Find out more about why it was held and why it’s so important.
Held in the House of Commons and chaired by Labour MP for Streatham, Bell Ribeiro-Addy, the meeting was attended by cross-party MPs and members of the House of Lords, as well as campaigners.
A 2019 report showed Black women were 5x more likely to die during pregnancy
The APPG was organised by campaigners Five X More. The organisation was set up to address the fact that the 2018 & 2019 MBRRACE UK report showed Black women were five times more likely to die during pregnancy than white women.
While that number has now decreased slightly, there continues to be a significant disparity in the experience and outcomes of Black women during pregnancy when compared to their peers. The fact that the stillbirth rate in the UK for Black women is more than twice that for white women (statistic from Kicks Count) is just one example of the terrible disparity.
Five X More are determined to address the inequality in maternal healthcare and ensure the experiences and needs of Black women are reflected in national policy-making.
The APPG included a call to action, encouraged supporters to write to their local MPs, raise awareness on social media, feed back on positive and negative experiences in the healthcare system and for practitioners to report incidents of poor practice, if seen.
As part of their campaigning, Five X More is now preparing for the publication of its Black Maternity Experience Report on 24 May. The campaigners are also behind April Advocacy Month which recognises organisations that support birthing women and their partners.
Read more about Five X More and the incredible work they do on their website
They’re also on Instagram @fivexmore_ and Twitter @fivexmore
