CARE Initiative - Culturally Appropriate Reproductive Equity

 

We are on a mission to increase access to maternal healthcare in Atlanta, Georgia. Our platform empowers Global Shapers to tackle this urgent challenge head-on in their local communities. The United States faces a stark maternal health crisis, with approximately 700 women dying from complications of pregnancy and childbirth every year. Shockingly, mortality rates have doubled in two decades, disproportionately affecting Black and Indigenous women. In Atlanta, a city grappling with high maternal mortality and inadequate mental health care, the CARE Initiative serves as a platform for Global Shapers to contribute their time and talents toward this pressing challenge.

 

Through advocacy, coalition building, and partnerships, we are driving change. Our goals include enhancing perinatal health access, promoting mental wellness for parents, and boosting health outcomes. With the Innovation Prize, we hope to contribute to the Georgia Fund for Perinatal Mental Health’s campaign by sponsoring 50 therapy sessions for moms and families ($100/session x 50 sessions = $5,000). We plan to contribute the remaining amount towards fulfilling Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Georgia’s perinatal care package needs. Each care package includes crucial items such as a blood pressure monitoring system, compression socks, a thermometer, protein test urine strips, and printed educational resources. We hope to leverage the Innovation Prize and recognition from WEF to encourage donations from our industry partners and employers, catalyzing triple impact through donor matching.

 

The CARE Initiative serves as a pilot project that extends into a multi-year initiative in partnership with our ally organizations, who have a longstanding commitment to maternal and infant health and deep ties with the communities they serve in Georgia.

 

Short-term goals

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  Community Building and Advocacy- The project began with a screening of the 'Aftershock' documentary followed by a community discussion during a Hub meeting in 2023. This documentary highlighted leaders who offered a firsthand perspective on why the maternal mortality issue is crucial to address immediately.

  
  


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  Building internal capacity- To serve as a platform, the project team brainstormed various impact activities across six engagement modalities, including community building, advocacy, talent sharing, service events, social events, and project operations. This ensures diversity in project offerings across different engagement modalities for different hub members.

  
  


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  Mobilizing Cross-Sector Support- The CARE Initiative mobilizes cross-sector collaborations (with institutional partners and our employers) and supports local community organizations with our talents and time.

  
  


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  Fulfilling current obligations- The CARE Initiative is currently supporting the Georgia Fund for Perinatal Mental Health with fundraising through a social media campaign, amplifying their fully funded therapy sessions for moms and families. Additionally, we collaborate with the Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Georgia by assembling free perinatal care packages during monthly service events.

  
  

 

Long-term goals

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  Building Sustainable Change- This multi-year effort requires time, funding, and hub engagement to establish long-term relationships and community partnerships, leading to tangible, measurable change in Atlanta.

  
  


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  Expanding Impact- Recognizing that maternal mortality is not unique to Atlanta, the Global Shapers Atlanta Hub aims to potentially partner with other hubs grappling with maternal mortality and share our project playbook and findings with other hubs in the region.

  
  


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  Raising Awareness- Increasing awareness of reproductive inequities in our city and engaging the hub in activities that promote reproductive justice.

  
  

 

Through these actions, the CARE Initiative aims to drive dialogues, synthesize information, leverage partners, thought industry experts, and the broader Global Shapers Community to engage cross-hub partnerships; create a shared agenda; build a culture of continuous improvement and evaluation; and build and expand upon existing resources.

 

The CARE Initiative's mission aligns with the World Economic Forum’s Global Alliance for Women's Health, reflecting our commitment to improving maternal and infant health outcomes in Georgia. We believe our model can be replicated in other cities grappling with maternal mortality, and aim to share our project playbook and findings with other hubs in the region. We invite you to join us in our commitment to improving women's health through the CARE Initiative.

 

For more information, please visit https://www.atlantaglobalshapers.org/projects/care-initiative/