The fivexmore message: level-up our maternal health
Did you know that in 2022, Black women still have a four-fold higher risk of dying during pregnancy in comparison to white women in the UK?
This is all happening in a country with one of the world’s lowest maternal mortality rates, prompting the questions; why does this scandalous inequality still exist, and what can we do to stop it?
Historically, the number of mothers dying was five times more, hence the name of the Fivexmore campaign.
Fivexmore is an action group created by concerned mothers Clo and Tinuke who are pushing for action to address this astonishing and avoidable disparity. Their much-needed campaign is proudly in the Find Others spotlight this week.
Fivexmore’s core mission is to reduce the disparities in maternal outcomes for Black women and birthing people in the UK. They take a three-pronged approach to their campaigning.
Valuing and respecting everyone’s experiences, they empower Black women to make informed choices and advocate for themselves throughout their pregnancies.
They lobby the government and those in power to develop new and exciting ways to support changes in maternal health.
They support the maternity system, offering non-judgemental support and community healthcare services by training healthcare professionals.
Their webpage is packed with useful resources that Black mothers can use to make sure that they are getting the best possible care from their providers. These include 6 steps for mothers, 5 steps for healthcare professionals, and 5 steps for partners to take to get each party engaged in conversations about maternal safety. Their website also has helpful guidance about rights and the roles of different healthcare professional titles that a mother may come across. This is all made to inform mothers as much as possible about how to achieve a positive maternal outcome.
Using these resources, Fivexmore aims to revolutionise the standard of care that Black women receive while birthing by asking decision-makers four things:
To acknowledge the disparity between Black women and their white counterparts in their pregnancy and childbirth experiences with the NHS and commit to addressing this issue and closing the gap.
To recognise that Black Women are often not given the right information to make informed decisions about their pregnancy and childbirth. On this, they want decision-makers to ensure more is done to ensure Black Women can advocate for themselves in healthcare.
To meaningfully engage Black women in improving their experiences of maternal health services.
To examine the role that the NHS plays in perpetuating the issues faced by Black women, such as the quality of treatment they receive, and the institutional racism that they face.
Advocacy: what can I do to help?
If you stand in solidarity with Fivexmore, then April means advocacy. They need your support to amplify the voices of Black women and finally close the shameful healthcare quality gap that they suffer. Write to your MP about your concern using their briefing pack which can be found here. Also, make sure to show your support for their goal on World Health Day on the 7th of April.
If you are inclined, share your #fivexmore selfie to raise awareness and save lives. Hold your hand in front of you like a STOP sign, share on your social media accounts using the #fivexmore hashtag and tag them on Instagram at @fivexmore_
The Fivexmore team works tirelessly to increase awareness of the maternal health disparity in the UK, but they are small and rely heavily on donations to continue their honourable work. You can donate here so that they can continue spreading the word about their campaign.
Clo and Tinuke have come a long way since they started the Fivexmore campaign in 2019. In 2020, their petition calling on the government to improve Black maternal health outcomes received over 187,000 signatures, leading to the subject being debated in parliament for the first time in history.
They have delivered talks to over 600 medical students, doctors and midwives. They have even created the UK’s first Black Maternal Health awareness week, and have overseen the creation of an All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Black Maternal Health and yesterday Tinuke gave evidence on black maternal health to the Parliamentary Women and Equalities Committee. However, their battle is not over yet, and they need your help to reduce this staggering maternal statistic to zero.
Use our free tools to start or find an existing campaign, petition, or legal case today. For more help getting started, take a look at our guidance article.