Anne Arundel County Infant Mortality Reduction Program at Risk
The Healthy Start Program for reduction of infant mortality in Anne Arundel County, Maryland is at risk after its recent loss of $610,000 in federal funding.
From the article:
The black infant mortality rate became a "widespread concern" for the county five years ago, when data indicated that the rate increased to 23 infant deaths for every 1,000 live births, the Capital reports. Currently, the infant mortality rate for blacks in Anne Arundel County is four times higher than that of whites, and 21 black infants in the county die before age one for every 1,000 live births, a rate three times higher than the national average.County Health Officer Frances Phillips hopes to "cobble together a diminished Healthy Start program," but nurses would be unable to complete the 500 home visits or address the 3,000 in annual referrals as they did before, according to the Capital. If county or state funds are not made available for the program, it "would be catastrophic" for the health department, Phillips said, adding, "There is no fat. There is no ability to shave [that much money]."
The loss of funding for this program threatens to have a serious effect on the infant mortality rate in Anne Arundel County.
