The Citywide Doula Initiative, led by NYC's Department of Health, aims to improve maternal health for Black and Hispanic mothers by providing free doula support. An audit revealed better birth outcomes among program participants, including lower cesarean rates and zero pregnancy-related deaths. Black and Hispanic women make up a disproportionate percentage of maternal mortality in NYC, highlighting the initiative's timely importance and potential to close racial disparities in maternal health. The program is seen as a crucial response as federal funding and Medicaid support decline, proving essential to community health.
By providing doula services at no-to-low costs, the city is making progress toward closing the racial gap in maternal health outcomes and on its way to eliminating maternal mortality.
As federal funding for comprehensive reproductive healthcare is rescinded and Medicaid faces mounting threats, the New York Citywide Doula Initiative remains a lifeline for our communities.
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