Pampers Announces $250K Commitment to Help Drive Systemic Change for Black Moms

Pampers, P&G’s baby diaper brand, has teamed up with Olympic gold medalist Allyson Felix to help raise awareness of the ongoing crisis in the U.S. healthcare system related to the maternal health of black families, and the need to increase the quality of care especially for mothers.

In the US, black mothers are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than their counterparts of other backgrounds and ethnicities despite 60% of all maternal deaths being preventable. In that sense, the brand is committing to commit $250,000 over the next 12 months to help change the systemic issues that prevent black moms from receiving equitable care.

Allyson Felix knows this reality firsthand. “Black maternal health is a cause that is very close to me for so many reasons. After experiencing some of the scariest days of my life giving birth to my own daughter and realizing I’m not alone; that really pushed me to want to advocate for other moms so they can experience the pure joy that comes with being a parent,” she said. “You can’t change anything with silence, so I’m proud to partner with Pampers to support their commitment to addressing the maternal health disparity.” ​

A key component of Pampers’ commitment includes a $100,000 partnership with the National Birth Equity Collaborative (NBEC). NBEC is one of the nation’s leading experts and advocates for change in the Black maternal health crisis, helping to raise awareness of the issue and actively working to improve the quality of care for Black mothers & Black birthing people and reduce maternal mortality rates within the community.

“At the root of it, we understand that the cause of inequities in healthcare is racism. NBEC is committed to combating systemic racism through training, research, technical assistance, policy, advocacy, and community-centered collaboration,” said Inas Mahdi, Vice President of Training, Practice and Evaluation at the National Birth Equity Collaborative. “Through this initiative, we will be able to support the expansion of our Birth Equity Trainings, educating clinicians and healthcare practitioners to shift towards a culture of antiracist practices.”

In addition to the Pampers commitment, consumers can join in the fight to lower the systemic barriers Black moms face in receiving equitable care. For every share of the #RaiseCareDeliverJoy video during the month of June, Pampers will donate one additional dollar to the National Birth Equity Collaborative to help support Black moms in getting the care they and their families deserve (up to $10,000).

“The first time parents get to hold their newborn baby, and all the moments leading up to their arrival, should be full of joy. In fact, we believe every parent has the right to experience the full joy of pregnancy and beyond,” said Melissa Aceves, Senior Brand Director and Equity & Inclusion lead for Pampers at Procter & Gamble. “Knowing the systemic issues affecting Black moms in America today means we have no choice but to continue to act. We are determined to keep fighting for better outcomes and lower maternal mortality rates. Because only when we raise the quality of care, will we be able to deliver more joy.”

This year and beyond, Pampers will continue to expand training for healthcare professionals against prejudice with the March of Dimes, which will positively impact more than 20,000 parents each year; and building strategic partnerships with other leading organizations in the field.

This year and beyond, Pampers will continue to expand bias trainings for healthcare professionals with March of Dimes, which will positively impact over 20,000 parents each year; and continue to build strategic partnerships with other leading organizations in the field.