‘Black Mums Matter Too’ calls for 200 Black mums and mums-to-be

Today, the campaign Black Mums Matter Too is launching to take action against maternal mortality rates for Black mums and their babies. Participants will receive support via the Peppy app and provide vital insights for the healthcare community. Peppy are currently on the DigitalHealth.London Accelerator.

Black women in the UK are four to five times more likely to die during pregnancy, childbirth and post-birth than White women. In addition, Black women are up to twice as likely to experience a stillbirth than White women.

Mars Lord, Birth Rights Activist and Doula, said: “The maternal mortality rates for Black women in the UK are simply unacceptable. Black Mums Matter Too will engage with and empower Black mums and mums-to-be, helping us get to the heart of these health inequalities. Participants will have access to health professionals, trustworthy information and support, all at the touch of a button. Black mums: your lives and the lives of your babies matter. Please, apply today.”

The campaign has two aims. Firstly, to identify how digital health solutions such as Peppy can address underlying causes of health inequalities for Black mums and mums-to-be. Secondly, to support Black mums so they can thrive, not just survive.

The Black Mums Matter Too team are now recruiting 200 Black mums and mums-to-be from across England to access Peppy for free. Participants will be connected to real-life specialist pre and post-natal practitioners via chat, video call and live broadcasts, as well as peer-support with a community of new mums.

Peppy has a proven record of providing effective support for Black women. In April 2020, Peppy was one of 18 digital innovations selected by NHSX as part of the TechForce19 challenge, a key project within the national COVID-19 response. In a UK-wide pilot to test whether Peppy could complement local and NHS maternal support, the app was made available to 1,075 parents. 7% of participants were Black – more than double the UK national average (3%). The results of TechForce19 included 95% user engagement, an average 60% improvement in users’ feelings of mental wellbeing and 18% better-than-average feedback from Black participants.

Dr Mridula Pore, CEO and Co-Founder of Peppy, said: “These results drove home the positive impact digital health solutions can have on individuals, particularly at-risk groups. The ability to access trusted information, be referred for further support and connect to a real person, all at the touch of a button, could be transformative. Help us to take action by taking part in this campaign.”

Jenny Thomas, Programme Director, DigitalHealth.London said: “Peppy are a fantastic example of how digital health can impact lives and empower people to best manage their health. They are well placed to be leading this campaign and we are very proud to be supporting them through the DigitalHealth.London Accelerator programme.”

Black Mums Matter Too will be delivered by the Peppy Health Community Taskforce, a not-for-profit arm of digital healthcare provider, Peppy Health.

CONTACT:

blackmums@peppy.health

@BlackMumsMatterToo (Instagram)

@BlackMumsMatter (Twitter)