DHS- Bureau of Community Health Promotion: Healthy Birth Outcomes

Eliminating racial and ethnic disparities in birth outcomes has been identified as one of the highest priorities for Wisconsin, and is among the Healthiest Wisconsin 2020 goals of eliminating all health disparities.

Infants born to African American women in Wisconsin have persistently been two to four times as likely to die before their first birthday as infants born to white women. In 2005, the Department of Health Services established a statewide initiative and advisory committee, and together with a wide array of partners, is committed to raising awareness about these disparities, providing data to monitor and track birth outcomes, improving our understanding of the root causes, fostering collaboration and identifying resources at the national, state, and local level for effective and community-driven interventions.

Two main projects supporting the Family Health Section’s capacity-building around health equity are:

• Survey and data analysis
• Developing health equity modules for a toolkit