Infant mortality in Birmingham 'not openly discussed'
Infant mortality is not "openly discussed" among some communities, a charity worker in Birmingham said, as the city attempts to tackle a long-standing problem.
For the last decade, Birmingham has had one of the highest rates of infant mortality in England. The city council has set up a taskforce in a bid to halve the number of deaths.
It heard rates were highest in deprived areas and among Black, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi heritage families.
Shabana Qureshi is the women wellbeing manager for the Ashiana Community Project, a charity which works to improve quality of life for those living in Sparkbrook.
Figures from the 2011 census show 87% of its population identified as being from an ethnic group other than White British, with the largest ethnic group being Pakistani. Many of women she works with, she said "don't know how to ask the right questions" and so are "not informed" about issues.
Many people in the communities they work with, she said, have low education levels and are more likely to suffer with maternity health issues, but find it difficult to access services.
"[Infant mortality] is not something that is discussed openly," she said.
"A lot of women live within extended families and are sometimes not aware of the risks, they live with these conditions and health inequalities."
She said any services which hope to tackle these problems need to involve communities, and be designed to be relatable, culturally sensitive and maintain trust.
Source: BBC News, 22 April 2021