The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors approved a resolution Tuesday to establish a fund aimed at addressing racial disparities in maternal and infant health outcomes.
The Maternal Health Trust Fund, introduced by Supervisor Lisa Gauthier, will allow the county to accept donations used for increasing access to support services for residents who are pregnant or are in the postpartum stages. The services will be directed toward racial and ethnic groups that have shown disproportionate rates of maternal and infant mortality, preterm births and low birth weights.
“This fund is about prevention and long-term impacts, ensuring that families are supported, not just during pregnancy, but throughout the postpartum period and beyond,” Gauthier said at the meeting.
Despite representing a small portion of the state’s population, maternal mortality rates among Black women were much higher than other races from 2021 to 2023, according to the California Department of Public Health.
In San Mateo County, Black infants also had the highest rates of preterm births and low birth weights compared to other races between 2020 and 2022, according to county data. Regional data also shows that Latina mothers experience the highest rates of infant mortality in San Mateo County.
“That reality demands action,” Gauthier said. “It makes it more urgent that we respond locally.”
Money from the Maternal Health Trust Fund, Gauthier said, will be used for expanding programs and services that try to provide equitable opportunities for healthy pregnancies and births.
Initiatives like improving coordination between health care systems and community-based organizations and raising awareness of the disparities will be supported by the fund. Other activities include holding community forums and listening sessions, supporting more research into the topic, and providing training opportunities for health care providers.
“It also allows us to invest in community-based solutions, culturally responsive care and the kind of support that families have been asking for,” Gauthier said.
County staff are planning to launch the fund by putting on a public film screening of “The Risk of Giving Birth,” a docuseries that highlights the health disparities surrounding pregnancy and birth for Black and Latina women.
“This fund is one step, but it’s a critical one toward ensuring that every mother and every baby in our county has the opportunity for a healthy, safe start,” Gauthier said.