Indigenous women in our Midwestern states have much higher rates of premature birth and infant and maternal mortality than other communities. As Rotarians, we can help! Five of these communities are requesting partnership from Rotary to help them implement a solution: they would like to offer Group Prenatal Care in their communities to improve outcomes for moms and babies.
This multi-district, multi-state Global Grant will offer Group Prenatal Care (GPC) training to these five indigenous communities, reaching hundreds of pregnant moms across our states. GPC is an evidence-based method of providing education, medical care, social support and empowering women in a group during their pregnancy. This program has been successful in native communities and is attractive to the participating communities because it is similar to a ‘talking circle’, it improves trust of the health providers, and it incorporates spiritual principles and cultural connections. The Global Grant will provide training (from nationally-recognized leader in prenatal care, March of Dimes), financial and technical support to implement group prenatal care.
Five communities in North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Montana, and your very own Minnesota are have already submitted letters of support from tribal councils, health centers, and Indian Health Services to confirm their participation in this collaborative project. They have submitted the appropriate community assessment materials and other materials required for the Global Grant application as well. Now, they await the Rotary Global Grant funding to move forward to implement this program!
