This is progress for Black maternal health!
Virginia Union University (VUU) recently announced the launch of its new Doula Certification Program, aimed at tackling racial disparities in maternal and infant health. The prorgam is the fist of its kind at a historically Black college or university (HBCU) in Viginia and one they hope will serve as a pipeline for culturally competent doulas across the Commonwealth state, VUU reports.
The new prorgam is an extension of VUU’s Health Equity Initiative. The program focuses on expanding Allied Health Certifications, ranging from Phlebotomy and CPR training to doulas. The university is committed to expanding its healthcare offerings in an effort to address critical gaps. The new Doula Certification is a partnership between VUU, Birth In Color, and the Virginia Department of Health (VDH).
Black maternal health has been at the forefront of a number of discussions in the medical sector for years. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Black women are three times more likely than white women to die during childbirth across the U.S. In Virginia, the Black mortality rate is twice the rate of white women and infants born to Black women are three times more likely to die than infants of other races in the state.
The statistics are startling and something that many at various levels of healthcare are working to remedy. Causes for the statistic are due to racial bias in healthcare, limited access to quality prenatal care, and higher rates of underlying health condiditions. Virginia Union has now stepped up to do their part with the new Doula Certification Program. The new program offers training in holistic maternal care, non-biased, culturally competent care, and community-based healthcare advocacy.
“As we launch this pioneering Doula Certification Program, we are taking a bold step toward transforming Black maternal and infant healthcare in Virginia. This program is more than training – it is about saving lives, reducing disparities, and empowering communities,” explained Felicia D. Cosby, Dean of Virginia Union Technical College.
The program comes at a critical time in the nation when women’s reproductive health rights are under attack. With VUU leading the cahrge, the initiative will work to train more doulas that can fill the racial disparities in maternal health and expand workforce development in the health sector.
Cover photo: Virginia Union Makes History as First Virginia HBCU to Launch Doula Certification Program/Photo credit: Virginia Union University/Instagram