The Need For Policies Changes To Decrease African-Americans Infant Mortality Rates

Imagine, that you are a pregnant African American women and the year is 2002. The media are filled with talk of a new movement that screams equality and equity in a new world that would rather forget the oppressive, separated ways of the past than reminisce. But when you begin to see the odds of you having a successful pregnancy in comparison to your Caucasian counterparts it’s hard to be anything but discouraged in a time where things were supposed to be getting better. Despite what our country was built upon, if America truly stands behind equality and justice for all, then there is no reason why these health and ethnic disparities should manifest so much worry in African-American communities. These individuals shouldn’t have to worry about whether their newborn will survive the first 6 months, especially considering that Caucasian parents don't share these worries on the same magnitude. This is why there needs to be more policies put in place to decrease the rate of infant mortality in African-Americans in the United States.

This proposal for more policy towards decreasing African- American infant mortality rates in the United States is imperative because it would increase awareness of the high health disparities amongst the African- American community where, as previously mentioned, a call to action has the potential to change the entire course of healthcare for pregnant African American women in the United States by contributing to the equity and equality that is still trying to find its way into the medical world; However, some Americans believe that these policies and the call for awareness they bring are not a priority. The death of any infant regardless of race or gender is a major concern not only in regard to equity and equality in America but also in regard to the growth of the population overall.

Additionally, these policies would not only provide awareness for the high infant mortality rates in the black community but would address the economic discrimination. These policies would do this by generating support groups to impede the miseducation of many African-American parents who may not know the most effective ways to take care of infants in the first few stages post- pregnancy. Even though one could argue how effectively these policies would be in counteracting infant mortality rates, the policies put in place could address and potentially cease economic discrimination and would be another step in decreasing high infant mortality in the African- American community Finally, the policies put in place to combat the high infant mortality rates in the African American communities could also promote health care facilities to be placed in diverse areas of densely populated black and brown individuals in hopes to decrease the high rate of infants deaths in these communities.

The Bureau sheds light on a rather hidden factor that leads to these huge differences in infant mortality between Caucasian and African-American citizens in the USA. Be that as it may, some people may argue that the placement of these health care facilities in black communities would be a grandiose waste of resources that could go to more pressing issues in our country. But it is claims like these that reveal how little of a priority African-Americans (along with other minorities) are in American society that is primarily minorities. Which is why, more policy is an essential step in creating feasible change in the high rates of mortality in African-American infants.

In conclusion, the increase of policies that would be instilled for the decrease in high infant mortality rates for African-Americans would contribute to more accessible healthcare in the black community, bring awareness to the gap between African- American infants and Caucasian infants in mortality rates, and would address the socio economic discrimination that takes place in the United States. Even if these policies were to create a minor change in evening the playing field for African- Americans, and their pursuit for equal healthcare despite the color of their skin, the communities they live in, and their socioeconomic backgrounds and create change not matter how small of effect. These policies can act as a beacon of hope for African Americans who fear for their unborn children by being the first step of many, to promote a country that stands by its claims of being a nation that advocates for equality.