The MCH Coalition is an advocacy group made up of over 100 diverse stakeholders in maternal and child health in New Orleans. Our members include researchers, healthcare providers, doulas, individuals employed by local and state government offices, and representatives of community organizations creating public health solutions for and providing direct services to New Orleans families in the perinatal period.
In 2018, researchers at Tulane’s Mary Amelia Douglas-Whited Women’s Community Health Education Center (MAC) and Newcomb College Institute (now Newcomb Institute) launched a report titled “The Health of Women & Girls in Louisiana: Racial Disparities in Birth Outcomes”. This report, which revealed stark racial disparities in Louisiana’s adverse birth outcomes, was the result of collaboration between MAC, Newcomb Institute, and numerous organizations including National Birth Equity Collaborative (NBEC) and Louisiana Public Health Institute (LPHI). Researchers concluded that these disparities were unjust and preventable, driven by structural racism permeating throughout numerous socioecological contexts.
Understanding that evidence-based data is most useful when applied to improve the lives of families, MAC, Newcomb Institute, NBEC, and representatives from throughout Tulane University and other community-based organizations came together to form what is now the MCH Coalition. Since our first meeting, we have grown to over 100 members spanning a wide range of sectors and fields of expertise. Our members work together to push for and implement the necessary changes that can make New Orleans a place where reproductive justice prevails, and families can safely grow and thrive. We specifically focus our efforts on the perinatal period, and prioritize dismantling the systems of oppression that put Black folks at higher risk of experiencing poor quality care and adverse perinatal outcomes.
Download the report below to read the findings on your own!