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To recognize September as National Infant Mortality Awareness Month in the City of Columbus and to thank StepOne for a Healthy Pregnancy, Celebrate One, and Columbus Public Health for their steadfast efforts to reduce infant mortality in this community.
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WHEREAS, in Franklin County, Ohio approximately 150 babies die before their first birthday; with the overall Infant Mortality Rate of 8.3 deaths per 1000 live births being higher than the State of Ohio average rate of 7.7 deaths per 1000 live births; and
WHEREAS, StepOne for a Healthy Pregnancy which is a part of the Physicians Care Connection has developed a reputation as a leader in the fight to reduce infant mortality in Columbus and Central Ohio - as a Celebrate One partner agency they are not only a resource for pregnant women, they are known for going the extra mile by: helping pregnant women find insurance; finding and identifying doctors, scheduling prenatal visits, solving the array of challenges related to being pregnant, and identifying high-risk pregnancies over the phone with a professionally trained staff that can recognize warning signs based upon their conversations; and
WHEREAS, StepOne for a Healthy Pregnancy receives between 7000 to 8000 phone calls each year and serves more than 3,500 women annually as a front line resource that ultimately helps pregnant women with prenatal care, identifying resources, promoting Healthy Babies and most importantly helping babies reach their first birthday which is a key milestone; and
WHEREAS, Columbus Public Health’s Caring for 2Project, one of 104 Healthy Start Projects in the United States, is dedicated to reducing the incidence of infant deaths among minority populations that face substantial cultural, social and economic barriers to obtaining early and adequate prenatal care; and
WHEREAS, Infant Mortality Awareness Month activities provide opportunities for the community to be educated and get more involved with the Caring For 2 program and the Office of Minority Health programs ensuring that Columbus has healthy mothers, healthy babies, and healthy families; and
WHEREAS, Columbus Public Health (CPH) charged the Greater Columbus Infant Mortality Task Force in January of 2014 with coming up with a plan to reduce sleep-related infant deaths through implementing a comprehensive public awareness campaign to improve safe sleep practices; and
WHEREAS, the Greater Columbus Infant Mortality Task Force ended its 6-month process in June of 2014 with the release of its final report to the residents of Franklin County - in it were eight recommendations to reduce the community’s alarming infant mortality rate by 40 percent and cut the racial health disparity gap in half by 2020; and
WHEREAS, Celebrate One was created in November of 2014 to carry out the Task Force’s recommendations and ensure that Franklin County meets its ambitious goal as every baby deserves to live beyond their first birthday; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS: That this Council does hereby recognize September as National Infant Mortality Awareness Month and acknowledge the dedication and diligence of StepOne for a Healthy Pregnancy, Celebrate One, and Columbus Public Health for their efforts to increase awareness regarding infant mortality and its efforts to reduce the contributing factors.