How can we as a community undo institutional racism in the public health arena to reduce infant mortality?

Question

I'm working on a project for infant survival and community unity. And I'm on a Undoing Institutional Racism Community Action Team. We are trying to look at ways to create awareness and address the issue. From my research, I've found that the US ranks 42nd in the world for infant mortality and third world countries beat us in providing care to infants. For African-Americans, the rate doubles where 1 in 5 infants die. And I've heard from other community members, that there is a disparity in treatment by physicians, there are stats to show the disparity based on outcomes, and then there are personal stories talking to infant mortality is not a socio-economic as African-Americans at any rung of the socio-economic ladder faces the same institutional racism growing up and their birth outcomes are still dire compared to the general population. And then again, we live in a civil technological society with the 'best' doctors and academia, but still rank in the cess pool for infant mortality..

Answer 1

You want to reduce infant mortality, you increase health care and dietary care for mothers before the child is born. Awareness begins with the mothers to be. Racism is not tied to infant mortality. Poverty and poor health care is.

Whatever action team this is, it is already on a loosing side by flagging "racism" in its name. Using the term only creates a bias atmosphere.

Answer 2

First, you need to redo your question. You are assuming that there is "institutional racism" This is no longer true. Institution racism are things like "White Only" waiting rooms or being denied access to a college soley based on your race. These have not been the case for a very long time. That being said, there are still individuals who are racist and do things based on race alone.
Now to the meat of your question. Just because there are unequal outcomes does not mean that ther is any racism going on. Anecdotal evidence like " I heard from some people" is really useless in trying to find the root cause of a problem, even if their situtaion is true.
Let's look at what we know is happening. 1) Black people have a higher teenage pregnancy rate. 2) A large percentage of black people live in poverty or lower incomes. 3) People in poverty and lower incomes tend to seek or get prenatal care less often than those of higher incomes. 4) People in poverty or lower incomes tend to have a less healthier diet. 5) A disproportionate number of black people have HIV as compared to other groups. 6) Illegal drug use an single parent households. This applies to every group.
Nothing I've said here is revolutionary or new. We've all seen these numbers from multiple government and private study groups, on talk shows and the regular news. I suggest you look at some of these things before you start screaming racism.

Answer 3

US 'infant mortality' is inflated by employing counting somewhat untimely births as 'stay.' In much less obsessive societies, they at the instant are not getting a premies coronary heart beating for a couple of minutes, then call it a stay start w/infant mortality, they call it stillborn, and it is not counted as infant mortality. The technologies used to maintain practically non-achievable babies alive are what's brought about the upward push in 'infant mortality,' by employing a similar token, the form of 'nevertheless births' has have been given to be way down. yet merely alarming information are properly worth reporting.