Color and Culture hosts first-ever Maternal Health Summit in Lancaster – WGAL

Report on the Inaugural Pennsylvania Maternal Health Summit

Executive Summary

On Wednesday, the marketing and advertising firm Color and Culture convened the first-ever statewide Maternal Health Summit in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The event, held at the Lancaster Marriott at Penn Square, gathered hundreds of stakeholders, including healthcare professionals, policymakers, and community leaders. The primary objective was to foster collaboration aimed at improving maternal healthcare, with a specific focus on addressing disparities faced by people of color and individuals in rural communities. The summit’s agenda and goals directly align with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those concerning health, equality, and partnerships.

Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The summit’s mission is intrinsically linked to the global agenda for sustainable development. Key alignments include:

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: The core focus of the summit was to address preventable maternal health risks and improve care for all mothers and birthing people, directly contributing to Target 3.1, which aims to reduce the global maternal mortality ratio.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: By concentrating efforts on communities of color and rural populations, the summit actively works to reduce health inequalities within and among communities, a central tenet of SDG 10. The choice of Lancaster as a venue was a strategic decision to engage with growing minority communities.
• SDG 5: Gender Equality: Improving maternal health is fundamental to empowering women. The summit’s emphasis on self-advocacy and support for the motherhood journey promotes the health, rights, and well-being of women.
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals: The event exemplified a multi-stakeholder partnership, bringing together diverse sectors of society to collaborate on a complex public health issue, which is the foundational principle of SDG 17.

Key Issues and Discussions

Discussions during the summit centered on critical challenges and solutions within maternal healthcare. The following themes were prominent:

1. Preventability of Maternal Health Risks: A foundational point, as stated on the PA Maternal Health Summit’s official website, is that the majority of risks faced by pregnant individuals are preventable through adequate care and support.
2. Impact of Funding Deficiencies: It was noted that the prevalence of these issues has been exacerbated by funding cuts to essential research and programs designed to address maternal health.
3. The Role of Patient Advocacy: A key takeaway, articulated by attendee Kay Gore, was the critical importance of self-advocacy. Patients are encouraged to have a plan and actively advocate for their own health needs during the birthing process.

Strategic Focus and Community Engagement

Rationale for Lancaster Venue

George Fernandez of Color and Culture explained the deliberate choice of Lancaster for the summit’s location. The city was selected due to its status as a growing hub for Black and brown communities. This strategic decision was made to ensure that outreach and resources are directed toward the populations most in need, reinforcing the summit’s commitment to SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).

Participant Perspectives

Personal testimonies highlighted the urgency of the summit’s mission. Mr. Fernandez, a new parent via surrogacy, described the journey as an “emotional, mentally draining” process that gave him a profound new respect for the challenges of motherhood. His experience underscores the need for comprehensive support systems for all paths to parenthood. The event also featured a keynote address from actress, producer, and director Terri J. Vaughn, adding a high-profile voice to the advocacy efforts.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: The article’s central theme is the Maternal Health Summit, which directly addresses health outcomes by focusing on “improving care for all moms and birthing people” and tackling “preventable” health risks during pregnancy.
• SDG 5: Gender Equality: The summit’s focus on “moms,” “birthing people,” and the “motherhood journey” connects to the health, rights, and well-being of women, which is a cornerstone of gender equality.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: The article explicitly states that the summit’s conversations were geared toward improving care for specific, often marginalized groups, including “people of color,” “those in rural communities,” and “Black and brown communities,” directly addressing health inequality.
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals: The event itself is an example of a multi-stakeholder partnership, bringing together “health care professionals, policymakers and community leaders” to collaborate on solutions for maternal health.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 3.1: By 2030, reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births.
   • The article supports this target by highlighting that the risks pregnant people face are “preventable” and that the summit’s goal is to improve maternal care, which is essential for reducing maternal mortality.
2. Target 5.6: Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights.
   • Improving maternal health care is a critical component of reproductive health services. The focus on the “motherhood journey” and providing support and care for “moms and birthing people” aligns with ensuring access to comprehensive reproductive healthcare.
3. Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status.
   • The summit’s specific focus on improving care for “people of color and those in rural communities” is a direct effort to ensure these groups are included in health advancements and receive equitable care.
4. Target 10.3: Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome.
   • By aiming to improve care for “Black and brown communities” that “need it most,” the initiative seeks to reduce the disparities in maternal health outcomes that exist between different racial and geographic groups.
5. Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships.
   • The Maternal Health Summit is a clear example of this target in action. It is a collaborative event organized by a civil society group (“Color and Culture”) that brought together diverse stakeholders like “health care professionals, policymakers and community leaders” to work on a common goal.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Maternal Mortality Ratio (Indicator 3.1.1): While no specific numbers are given, the article’s emphasis on “preventable” risks implies that the rate of maternal deaths is the key problem being addressed. Progress would be measured by a reduction in this ratio.
• Data on Health Outcomes Disaggregated by Group: The article’s specific mention of “people of color,” “rural communities,” and “Black and brown communities” implies the need for indicators that measure maternal health outcomes (like mortality or morbidity rates) broken down by race, ethnicity, and geographic location to track progress in reducing inequalities (relevant to SDG 10).
• Number and Effectiveness of Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships: The article describes the “first-ever statewide Maternal Health Summit” as a partnership. An indicator for Target 17.17 would be the number of such partnerships formed and their success in implementing programs that improve maternal health.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: wgal.com