LIHF – The Lifecourse Initiative for Healthy Families

LIHF – The Lifecourse Initiative for Healthy Families

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LIHF – The Lifecourse Initiative for Healthy Families

In response, the Wisconsin Partnership Program of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health have launched a $10 million initiative to investigate and address the high incidence of African-American infant mortality in the state.

Efforts are being undertaken in Beloit, Kenosha, Milwaukee and Racine to improve the health status of African Americans over the lifespan and improve infant survival and health.

LIHF – The Lifecourse Initiative for Healthy Families

Improving Health:

Opportunities to improve infant health start long before a woman becomes pregnant. The Lifecourse Initiative for Healthy Families takes its name from a perspective that views health as more than just the treatment of illnesses. Rather, a person’s health is affected by factors ranging from individual biology to social and economic conditions in a given community.

Improving birth outcomes among African-Americans requires a commitment to the health and well-being of African-American women throughout the lifecourse.

The Lifecourse Initiative:

[youtube width=”600″ height=”375″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PndBcYa32DQ[/youtube]

The Lifecourse Initiative for Healthy Families seeks to improve the health of babies by:

    • Improving health care services for African-Americans
    • Strengthening African-American families and communities
    • Addressing social and economic inequities for African-Americans

These are entrenched issues that many have worked on in the past. The LIHF teams in Beloit, Kenosha, Milwaukee, and Racine will build on these previous efforts as well as bringing the resources and expertise of local coalitions and the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health to the table. Accomplishing this requires a commitment from the entire community.

Stateline Community Foundation | A Local Convening Agency

Each participating city has convened a local collaborative. These groups will incorporate voices from every perspective within their communities. Each collaborative will seek to craft plans for each of the three key areas of the project.

In 2008, an African -American child born in Wisconsin was three times more likely to die before his or her first birthday than a white child.

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 For More Information:

University of Wisconsin School of Medicin

Wisconsin Partnership Program Website
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