First Step Campaign
Minority Infant Mortality Reduction (MIMR)
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Starting in 1995, the First Step Campaign has partnered
with the N.C. Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities,
the N.C. Division of Public Health, Women's Health Branch,
community leaders
and community-based
organizations to develop the Minority Infant Mortality Reduction
Campaign.
Recognized, in 1997 by the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy
Babies Coalition as the best public information campaign,
the Minority Infant Mortality Reduction Campaign addresses
the high infant mortality rates of African Americans and
American Indians in North Carolina.
Using the theme "Your Family is Bigger Than You Think," the
campaign has a two-pronged approach: individual health education
and community education.
Individual Health Education
Individual health education gives members of a specific
demographic group both knowledge and resources that increase
their chances of having healthy pregnancies and which give
their newborns the best chance in life.
Free educational materials address a variety of topics
from pre-pregnancy health through the first year of a baby's
life (see side bar). These materials are available in bulk
quantities to community groups, organizations and professionals
for use with the families they serve.
All educational materials promote a valuable resource: the
NC Family Health Resource Line (1-800-FOR-BABY / 1-800-367-2229).
The NC Family Health Resource
Line is a statewide, bilingual, toll-free telephone
service staffed by trained health communication specialists
who provide information and referrals and answer questions
on a variety of maternal and child health issues. Callers
can request individual copies of educational materials
at no cost.
Community Education
Community education rallies community members to: become
involved, support parents-to-be, help reinforce the key health
messages for women and babies and understand the role that
community organizations play in the broader health of their
community.
Community education
materials include brochures, posters and informational
videos with discussion guides. These items are perfect
for launching community discussions about issues related
to minority infant mortality reduction and the possibility
of developing, or supporting, local initiatives.
The media plays an important role in increasing public
awareness of the importance of the campaign's issues and
the behaviors that can reduce the risk of babies being born
too early or too small to be healthy. The Minority Infant
Mortality Campaign utilizes radio stations and newspapers,
that are credible in African American communities, to spread
the word.
In late 2004, the N.C.
Healthy Start Foundation and Durham's WNCU Radio (90.7
FM) were awarded a combined $42,500 national grant to
launch Listen-Up -- First Steps for
Helping Babies, a comprehensive, minority infant
mortality education campaign.
The grant is part of Sound Partners for Community Health,
a project of the Benton Foundation funded by The Robert Wood
Johnson Foundation, aimed at increasing awareness of specific
health issues and encouraging citizen involvement nationwide.
Grants were also awarded to 25 other public radio and 10
public television stations across the country to fund similar
health education collaborations.
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Last updated: October 2006
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