(Black PR Wire) LOS ANGELES, CA  — As Black Maternal Health Week approaches (April 11–17), a new public service announcement campaign is launching to address the alarming rates of Black maternal and infant mortality in Los Angeles County by mobilizing the people closest to Black mothers—their families and friends.

Created by public health expert and filmmaker Elizabeth Gray Bayne, MPH, MFA with support from the L.A. Care GAAINS Initiative—an effort dedicated to advancing health equity —The Best Gift PSA campaign encourages loved ones to provide practical support to help reduce preventable complications during pregnancy and the postpartum period.

The campaign addresses an urgent public health issue. National data show Black women in the United States are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than women of other racial groups, regardless of income or education. For every 100,000 births, about 43 Black women die compared with 13 white women. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that more than 80 percent of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable. Black women in Los Angeles County face maternal mortality rates nearly four times higher than white women. With one of the largest populations of Black mothers in California, local awareness and prevention efforts are especially critical.

“The goal of The Best Gift is to empower the ‘village’—the friends and family surrounding a new mother—to actively support her health and recovery,” said Bayne, the campaign’s creator. “Small, practical interventions from loved ones can make a life-saving difference, especially during the postpartum period.”

According to current research, there are four leading factors contributing to preventable deaths among Black mothers:

• Delayed diagnosis of pregnancy-related complications
• Lack of access to postpartum care
• Chronic stress
• Systemic racism in health care

While acknowledging systemic inequities, the campaign focuses on actions families and communities can take immediately.

Drawing inspiration from the popular social media trend of “unboxing” baby shower gifts, the campaign highlights meaningful gifts that support a mother’s health—sessions with a breastfeeding consultant, care from midwives or birth centers that provide earlier postpartum follow-ups, therapy support, and “chore buckets” in which friends volunteer to help with meals and doing the dishes.

Bayne brings both professional and personal perspective to the campaign. A Yale-trained public health expert and award-winning filmmaker, she is expecting her first child. As a Black woman over age 40, she is part of the demographic group facing the highest risk of pregnancy-related complications.

Bayne is also the director of Chocolate Milk, an award-winning documentary examining the experiences of Black mothers and breastfeeding in the United States.

graybayne film/media is a full-service production company, specializing in communication strategy for nonprofit and health organizations. With over ten years of public health, community outreach, and visual communications experience, we use storytelling to entertain, educate and inspire. www.graybayne.com

For more information, please visit thebestgiftpsa.org.