In observance of Black Maternal Health Week, which runs April 11-17, Jonesboro-based K8 News interviews ACHI President and CEO Dr. Joe Thompson for a story on the health disparities experienced by Black mothers in Arkansas and efforts to close the gaps.
Reporter Macy Davis explores Arkansas’s worst-in-the-nation ranking for maternal mortality and why Black women in Arkansas are twice as likely to experience a pregnancy-associated death as White women in the state. She also cites some statistics from our 100 Arkansas Moms infographic series.
Dr. Thompson discusses efforts to improve health outcomes among Black Arkansas moms, including a push to expand access to doulas, non-clinical caregivers who are trained to assist in childbirth.
More information on maternal and infant health in Arkansas is available on our topic page.