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05 Feb 2021

Black Mums Matter Too is taking action: here’s how employers can help

Employers are being asked to spread the word about free perinatal support for black mums and mums-to-be as part of a government-funded campaign, Black Mums Matter Too. Today, black women in the UK are four-to-five times more likely to die during pregnancy, childbirth and post-birth than white women. Black women are also twice as likely to experience stillbirth, according to MBRRACE-UK’s Saving Lives, Improving Mothers’ Care 2019 report.

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“The maternal mortality rates for black women in the UK are simply unacceptable,” says Black Mums Matter Too campaign leader, Mars Lord, a birth rights activist and doula of more than 16 years. “The research is there. Now it’s time to act.”

Black Mums Matter Too is now recruiting 200 Black mums and mums-to-be from across England to receive remote, expert-led parental support on the Peppy app, for free.

Employers can support the campaign by sharing the application form with their employees to help spread the word.

Selected participants will receive 12-weeks of free perinatal support, including:

  • one-to-one instant messaging with a real-life expert practitioner (never a chatbot)
  • interactive weekly webinars hosted by expert perinatal specialists
  • 45-minute consultation with an infant feeding expert where needed
  • peer support with group chat that connects them with other new mums
  • resources and links, chosen and vetted by experts.

All delivered securely and remotely via the Peppy app, alongside the support they are already receiving from their maternity and health visiting team.

“We know this support can make a real difference,” says Peppy CCO and Co-Founder Max Landry. “We’ve seen extraordinary improvements in maternal mental health and found our services are particularly effective with black women,” says Landry, pointing to results from a UK-wide pilot of Peppy in April last year.

As part of an NHSx-led national Covid-19 response Peppy was the only perinatal services provider selected to test how a digital healthcare solution would complement local and NHS maternal support.

After just two weeks, the number of participants with a mental wellbeing score indicating ‘possible depression or anxiety more than halved’.[1] User engagement reached 95% and, notably, scored 18% better-than-average feedback from Black participants.

“These results drive home the positive impact digital health solutions can have on individuals, particularly at-risk groups,” adds fellow Co-Founder and CEO of Peppy, Dr. Mridula Pore. “The ability to access trusted information, be referred for further support and connect to a real person in the moment you need it could be transformative.”

The Black Mums Matter Too campaign has two clear aims:

  1. To identify how digital solutions can address health inequalities for black mums.
  2. To support black mums so they can thrive, not just survive.

“We hope we’re able to demonstrate that by providing the right support we can improve all of the health indicators for black women,” says Landry. “That means improved breastfeeding rates, improved sleep, reduced anxiety and better all-round wellbeing.”

Black Mums Matter Too campaign leader, Mars Lord adds: “Black Mums Matter Too gives me real hope. The campaign will engage with and empower black mums and mums-to-be, helping us get to the heart of the health inequalities that exist in the UK.

“Participants will have access to health professionals, trustworthy information and support, all at the touch of a button.”

Beyond offering 200 birth parents a 12-week programme of free support, the campaign aim is for its results to prove the lasting impact that practical, scalable digital health solutions can have on at-risk groups.

“We launched Peppy to create services that can change lives and those services must be available to everybody,” says Landry. “Ultimately, we want this campaign to drive positive change that sticks.”

Employers can support Black Mums Matter Too

As an employer, please spread the word widely with your employee networks by sharing the recruitment form for this campaign. For more information, contact [email protected] or follow @blackmumsmattertoo on Instagram.

Black Mums Matter Too is funded by the government through the National Lottery Community Fund’s Coronavirus Community Support Fund. It is delivered by the Peppy Health Community Taskforce CIC, a not-for-profit arm of digital healthcare provider Peppy Health.

We are proud to be supported by our partners Mars Lord, Dr. Edward Morris, Dr. Karen Joash, Dr. Rebecca Moore, Abuela Doula, Birthrights, FivexMore, Make Birth Better and Prosperitys.  

This is a sponsored article provided by Peppy.

[1] Shah, Neha, et al. “Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (SWEMWBS): performance in a clinical sample in relation to PHQ-9 and GAD-7.” (Oxford: NP, Forthcoming 2020).

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