Pampers and Allyson Felix Announce $250K Commitment to Help Drive Systemic Change for Black Moms

Anticipation, excitement, and joy. These are common emotions used to describe new and expecting parents leading up to the arrival of their baby.

But for a Black parent, joy on the journey to the due date is often hard fought for as they navigate a health system that has consistently failed them. In the U.S., Black mothers are 3x more likely to die from pregnancy related causes than their counterparts of other backgrounds and ethnicities ^[1] despite 60% of all maternal deaths being preventable^[2]

Someone who knows this reality firsthand is Olympic Gold medalist and mother, Allyson Felix, who has teamed up with Pampers to help raise awareness of the ongoing Black maternal health crisis and the urgent need to raise the quality of care for Black moms.

“Black maternal health is a cause that is very close to me for so many reasons. After experiencing some of the scariest days of my life giving birth to my own daughter and realizing I’m not alone; that really pushed me to want to advocate for other moms so they can experience the pure joy that comes with being a parent,” said Allyson Felix. “You can't change anything with silence, so I'm proud to partner with Pampers to support their commitment to addressing the maternal health disparity.”

Pampers believes that every parent deserves to experience the full joy of pregnancy and beyond, which is why the brand is committing $250,000 over the next 12 months to help change the systemic issues that prevent Black moms from receiving equitable care. Read how Pampers Bolsters Commitments to Black Maternal Healthcare.

A key component of Pampers’ commitment includes a $100,000 partnership with the National Birth Equity Collaborative (NBEC). NBEC is one of the nation’s leading experts and advocates for change in the Black maternal health crisis, helping to raise awareness of the issue and actively working to improve the quality of care for Black mothers & Black birthing people and reduce maternal mortality rates within the community.

“At the root of it, we understand that the cause of inequities in healthcare is racism. NBEC is committed to combating systemic racism through training, research, technical assistance, policy, advocacy, and community-centered collaboration," said Inas Mahdi, Vice President of Training, Practice and Evaluation at the National Birth Equity Collaborative. "Through this initiative, we will be able to support the expansion of our Birth Equity Trainings, educating clinicians and healthcare practitioners to shift towards a culture of antiracist practices."

In addition to the Pampers commitment, consumers can join in the fight to lower the systemic barriers Black moms face in receiving equitable care. For every share of the #RaiseCareDeliverJoy video on Instagram during the month of June, Pampers will donate one additional dollar to the National Birth Equity Collaborative to help support Black moms in getting the care they and their families deserve (up to $10,000).

“The first time parents get to hold their newborn baby, and all the moments leading up to their arrival, should be full of joy. In fact, we believe every parent has the right to experience the full joy of pregnancy and beyond,” said Melissa Aceves, Senior Brand Director and Equity & Inclusion lead for Pampers at Procter & Gamble. “Knowing the systemic issues affecting Black moms in America today means we have no choice but to continue to act. We are determined to keep fighting for better outcomes and lower maternal mortality rates. Because only when we raise the quality of care, will we be able to deliver more joy.”

In 2022 and beyond, Pampers will continue to expand bias trainings for healthcare professionals with March of Dimes, which will positively impact over 20,000 parents each year; and continue to build strategic partnerships with other leading organizations in the field — all with the goal of helping to raise the quality of care and deliver more joy for Black moms.

Help Pampers #RaiseCareDeliverJoy so every parent can live to experience the full joy of pregnancy and beyond. For more information on Pampers ongoing work in this space, visit www.pampers.com/maternalhealthequity.