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2 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> PROCLAMATION DESIGNATING APRIL 11 -17, 20259 <br /> AS BLACK MATERNAL HEALTH WEEK <br /> WHEREAS, Black Maternal Health Week (BMHW) was founded by the Black Mamas <br /> Matter Alliance to increase awareness around the state of Black Maternal Health and <br /> promote activism and investment in solutions; and <br /> WHEREAS, the National Black Maternal Health Week 2025 theme, "Healing Legacies: <br /> Strengthening Black Maternal Health Through Collective Action and Advocacy," <br /> emphasizes the power of Black-led perinatal, maternal, and reproductive health <br /> organizations to drive systemic change and foster community healing; and <br /> WHEREAS, in the U.S., Black women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy- <br /> related cause than White women, and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) notes that <br /> more than 80% of pregnancy related deaths are preventable'; and <br /> WHEREAS, in North Carolina, the overall rate of maternal death is higher than the U.S. <br /> average, noting that in 2021, the state's maternal mortality rate was 44 deaths per <br /> 100,000 births according to CDC data2; and <br /> WHEREAS, in 85 percent of pregnancy-related deaths in North Carolina in 2018 and <br /> 2019, there was "at least some chance of the death being averted by one or more <br /> reasonable changes"2; and <br /> WHERAS, 39% of Black women in North Carolina receive late or no prenatal care, <br /> compared to only 24% of white women, meaning they are less likely to be diagnosed and <br /> treated for pregnancy-related complications such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and <br /> fetal conditions3; and <br /> WHEREAS, as many as 50% of Black women experiencing maternal mental health <br /> disorder symptoms fail to receive adequate help4; and <br /> WHEREAS, research demonstrates that the services of diverse birth workers, health <br /> advocates, community organizations, and healthcare providers are a crucial component <br /> of eliminating disparities, enhancing Black maternal safety and improving birth and health <br /> outcomes; and <br /> WHEREAS, we recognize and uplift community-based responses to addressing this crisis <br /> and we promote initiatives that reduce Black maternal morbidity and mortality such as <br /> doula services, midwifery services, peer support, mutual aid and mental wellness support; <br /> and <br />