Why Maternal Health Depends on More Than Healthcare

Join Us for A Free 3-Part Virtual Conversation: Stories of the Reproductive Journey

Every pregnancy and birth story is influenced by more than clinical care.

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Led by Dr. Patience Afulani, this session explores the social, economic, and structural factors that shape maternal health outcomes around the world and close to home. Together, we’ll examine persistent inequities in pregnancy, birth, and postpartum care and highlight innovative solutions, including San Francisco’s Pregnancy Village, a community-centered approach to supporting families and advancing birth equity.

About the San Francisco Pregnancy Family Village:

Pregnancy Village is a model for cross-sector collaboration designed to address perinatal inequities by providing a one-stop shop for resources in a celebratory and uplifting environment for Black pregnant individuals and their families. This care delivery model is rooted in person-centered and anti-racism principles and promotes sustainable community-institutional partnerships. In the session, we will present the motivation for PV and results from its evaluation to assess accessibility, acceptability, person-centeredness, and trust.

This session is the third and final part of the Stories of the Reproductive Journey series, which explores how health is shaped across every stage of the reproductive experience not just during pregnancy itself. In this session you will take away:

• Key drivers of inequities in pregnancy, birth, and postpartum care, including: barriers to access, utilization and quality of care.
• Community-centered interventions that improve maternal health outcomes, including San Francisco’s Pregnancy Village.
• Information on cross-sector partnerships and person-centered approaches can advance birth equity and support healthier families.
• Key drivers of inequities in pregnancy, birth, and postpartum care, including barriers to access, utilization, and quality of care. Describe the current state of maternal health in the United States.

Our health tells a story, one written across a lifetime. Step into a space to discover, understand, and honor your journey.