G4 - Surviving the Climate Crisis: Building the Environmental Justice and Reproductive Justice Bridge

Tuesday, May 9, 2023

8:45 AM – 9:45 AM CST

Location: Galerie 2

Moderator(s)

Kasey Rivas, MPH (she/her/hers)

Associate Director, Strategic Partnerships
March of Dimes
La Mesa, California

PDF Slides

Presenter(s)

ML

Malaika L. Ludman, MPH, CLC

Birth Doula and Certified Lactation Counselor
Birthmark Doula Collective

Co-Presenter(s)

GB

Gabrielle R. Beck (she/her/hers)

Student
Co-Chair of Youth Voice Amplified
Tenafly, NJ
Esther McCant, CD, CLC, HBCE

CEO
Metro Mommy Agency

Improved maternal and infant health (MIH) outcomes can be realized through collaborative cross-sector and multigenerational work. This session will focus on efforts to identify gaps in knowledge at the intersection of MIH and environmental health. The goal of the Mom and Baby Action Network’s (M-BAN) Environmental Justice workgroup is to address current environmental threats inequitably experienced by pregnant, birthing people and their families. M-BAN’s foundational report will be discussed including data supporting the need to address environmental threats to improve MIH equity and lived experience perspectives. By highlighting community doulas and empowering the youth voice, this session will develop a complex understanding of the inextricable link between climate change and maternal health. Co-authors will also discuss actionable recommendations for policymakers, clinicians, birth workers, and funders to address the intersection of environmental and reproductive justice and advocate for systemic improvements.