ASTHO and the March of Dimes partnered to help states prevent preterm birth and infant mortality. The partnership was created to support ASTHO’s Healthy Babies President’s Challenge, the March of Dimes’ Prematurity Campaign, and other public health initiatives with similar goals. The blue states have accepted the challenge, the purple states have met the goal of reducing prematurity by 8% by 2014. States who accepted the pledge agreed to the following:
- Publicly announcing my state health agency’s goal to reduce the rate of premature birth by 8% by 2014 (measured against 2009 data).
- Initiating and supporting programs and policies that reduce the premature birth rate in my state.
- Building wider awareness of my state’s prematurity rates and other related MCH indicators.
For more information, contact Scott Briscoe.