Health advocates request Caddo Parish funding to address maternal health crisis
SHREVEPORT, La. — Local health advocates are urging Caddo Parish commissioners to take immediate action on maternal health care as parish officials consider new funding options.
SHREVEPORT, La. — Local health advocates are urging Caddo Parish commissioners to take immediate action on maternal health care as parish officials consider new funding options.
According to the nonprofit organization Birth Well, Caddo Parish faces some of the highest infant mortality rates in Louisiana.
Alicia Mingo, a representative of Birth Well, requested a $65,000 investment to expand local maternal health care services.
"The $65,000 investment that I am requesting, it goes along to helping this emergency need because once somebody dies, they can't come back," Mingo said.
"So it's very urgent and emergent." Mingo highlighted that 93% of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable.
The Birth Well program works to connect mothers with doulas and critical community health resources.
If approved, the requested funds would also be used to train Caddo Parish residents to become certified doulas.
The Caddo Parish Economic Development Committee plans to review the proposal during an upcoming meeting and has not taken a final vote on the request.