Black Maternal Health Conference & Training Institute
Black Mamas Matter Alliance, Inc. (BMMA) is pleased to announce a Late Breaker Call for Abstracts!
Open NOW through Monday, March 18th at 11:59 EST, BMMA is intentionally seeking abstract proposals that specifically highlight projects and/or initiatives around health systems transformation, clinical and non-clinical interventions, task force/coalition-building, and research and/or policy projects that clearly showcase impact, lessons learned, successes, and best practices in reproductive and perinatal services and programs under Title V & Title X/family planning that engaged communities/populations most impacted by maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity, and other maternal health equity initiatives.
We are also open to additional abstracts under the following topics that showcase work/studies/policies/research related to:
Title V (MCH Services Block Grant) & Title X (contraception/family planning) and its intersection with birth equity and Black maternal health (domestically and abroad);
Reproductive cancers/Reproductive health and the impact on Black maternal health;
Postpartum care and interventions that help reduce or address severe maternal morbidity (e.g. eclampsia prevention/treatment, etc);
Breastfeeding/chestfeeding/human milk feeding access and equity;
Addressing the social determinants of health as an approach to eliminate maternal mortality (e.g., addressing wraparound services, continuity of care, violence prevention, elimination of food deserts, etc)
Addressing abortion care access, fetal loss and/or miscarriage; or
Innovative programs/studies/treatments that incorporate nurses and physicians alongside community health workers/perinatal support, midwives, birth centers and/or birth workers.
The BMHC24 theme, “Our Bodies STILL Belong to Us: Reproductive Justice NOW!” will highlight the widespread restrictions on abortion care access coupled with rising cases of criminalization due to pregnancy loss which continues to widen the gaps of adverse maternal and birth outcomes in the U.S. Many of the states with the most restrictive abortion bans have the worst maternal and child health outcomes and the least supportive social welfare and family support programs, particularly for Black women and birthing people. The time is NOW to demand for comprehensive public and private insurance coverage for maternal, sexual, and reproductive health care; improving access to care across geographies and birth settings; issuing guidance to health care providers, institutions, insurance companies, and related entities on providing equitable, high-quality, patient-centered care; and funding research and programs that center and utilize scholarship of Black women and birthing people.
The 2024 Black Maternal Health Conference & Training Institute TM meets a national need for a forum dedicated to Black Maternal Health and Black people working to improve our outcomes. To date, discussions about Black Maternal Health have been carved into existing reproductive, maternal, and public health conferences where there is little space for meaningful dialogue and limited framing on health equity and reproductive justice. BMMA has created that space with BMHC24 and we center Black Mamas’ voices and experiences in all activities. This conference is open to ALLstakeholders with lived experience and are working to, and/or seeking to advance maternal and reproductive health equity.