Wisconsin’s health equity community is buzzing over today’s announcement by the state’s Department of Health Service that Governor Tony Evers is directing over $15 million in grants to enhance maternal and child health, one of the areas exhibiting Wisconsin’s widest health disparities.
The news comes roughly two years after the 2020 report finding that Wisconsin had the highest Black infant mortality rate in the U.S. among 36 states and the District of Columbia, with Black infants’ non-survival rate three times lower than white infants. Infant and maternal mortality rates were similarly lower in Latino and Indigenous communities than their white counterparts.
The grants announced today seek collaboration among the broad range of stakeholders, including healthcare providers, community organizations, breastfeeding support groups, doulas, individuals and families who experienced high-risk pregnancies and pregnancy loss.
With maternal and infant mortality representing a key health equity segment, the grants are well positioned to serve as a model for funding in other states also seeking to reduce health disparities and enhance health outcomes across all populations.
Additional information about the Wisconsin program and the grants can be found here.
