COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - The city of Columbia is tackling an important issue that some say may not be getting the attention it deserves. The city is partnering with the Black Maternal Health Collective to host a health fair on Saturday, April 6.
Partners in mental health, loss support, community birthing, and nutrition will be in attendance.
In honor of Black Maternal Health Week, the health fair for moms, families, and babies will bring awareness to the disproportionate burden of maternal mortality among black women, specifically in South Carolina.
According to a 2023 report by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, black infants suffer disproportionately, dying at a rate nearly 2.5 times that of white infants, and the difference is worse for mothers. In 2020, research shows black women were 4.2 times more likely to die than white women in South Carolina.