Policy Pillar

Health & Wellness

Driving Policy and Transformative Change Through Advocacy and Action Since 2009

The International Black Women’s Public Policy Institute (IBWPPI) is a pioneering advocacy and policy organization started in 2009 addressing the critical needs of Black women, their families, and underserved communities. Guided by five policy pillars: Health and Wellness, Education, Economic Security, Eradication of Human and Sex Trafficking, and Violence Against Women, IBWPPI has built a legacy of trust, impact, and transformative change.

Through strong partnerships, community engagement, and a commitment to uplifting marginalized voices, IBWPPI has convened communities across the United States, with a particular focus on the South, while extending its reach globally in South and West Africa, the Bahamas, Bermuda, Belize and Haiti.

The organization mobilizes intellectual, financial, and material resources to implement initiatives that promote equity, self-sufficiency, and improved quality of life. The focus areas under each of the Policy Pillars provide the opportunity for IBWPPI to carry out the Mission and Vision of the organization.

The Health and Wellness pillar is central to IBWPPI’s mission, addressing critical health disparities that disproportionately affect Black women and their communities. Through advocacy, education, and partnerships, IBWPPI focuses on improving outcomes in maternal mortality, heart disease, mental health, obesity, diabetes, cancer, and global health challenges, such as clean water access.

Maternal Mortality

Maternal mortality is a crisis in the U.S., where Black women are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women. IBWPPI has:

Partnered with Bridge to Africa Connection to build and operate a birthing center in Feyiase Village, Kumasi, Ghana, addressing maternal health in a community with no prior healthcare facilities.
Committed to supporting and replicating this birthing center model in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia and California to serve underserved women in the U.S.
Hosted listening tours and policy forums, such as the Annual Policy Forum at the Congressional Black Caucus Legislative Conference, to amplify awareness and advocate for national systemic change.

Heart Disease

Heart disease remains a leading cause of death among Black women, driven by inequities in healthcare and prevention. IBWPPI works to:

Promote awareness campaigns on heart health and preventive care.
Provide resources and workshops on diet, exercise, and stress management.
Advocate for healthcare policies ensuring access to preventive screenings.
Facilitate better understanding on the benefits of clinical trials.

Mental Health

The mental health of Black women is often overlooked due to systemic inequities and cultural stigmas. IBWPPI addresses this by:

Raising awareness about mental health and reducing stigma.
Providing access to culturally competent counseling and resources.
Hosting workshops on mindfulness, stress management, and self-care education.

Obesity

Black women face higher rates of obesity, increasing the risk of chronic conditions. IBWPPI initiatives include:

Educating communities on nutrition and affordable healthy eating.
Supporting fitness programs and wellness challenges.
Advocating for improved access to fresh food in underserved areas.
Facilitating and promoting community gardens programs.

Diabetes

Diabetes disproportionately affects Black women due to systemic barriers and lifestyle factors. IBWPPI is:

Promoting awareness and providing free screenings at community events.
Educating on managing diabetes through diet, exercise, and medication adherence.
Advocating for affordable access to diabetes medications and supplies.

Cancer (Breast Cancer Focus)

Breast cancer is a leading health concern for Black women, who experience higher mortality rates. IBWPPI’s efforts include:

Educating on early detection and mammogram importance.
Facilitating free or low-cost screenings.
Hosting support groups for survivors and their families.
Advocating for equitable healthcare policies to reduce disparities.

Global Health Challenges: Clean Water Access in Haiti

IBWPPI considers the lack of access to clean water in Haiti a global health crisis and has partnered with Community2Community (C2C) to address this pressing issue. In Petit Goâve, Haiti, where 70% of residents lack direct access to potable water, IBWPPI supports:

The construction of a multi-purpose Health and Wellness Center.
The completion of Phases 3 and 4 of the Water Distribution System, which provides clean water, reduces waterborne illnesses, and supports food security through improved agricultural productivity.
Local leadership and community engagement to promote self-sufficiency.

Commitment to Equity and Impact

IBWPPI’s work in Health and Wellness reflects its broader mission of restoring, rebuilding, revitalizing, and reinvesting in communities. Whether addressing the maternal mortality crisis, combating chronic diseases, or tackling global health challenges, IBWPPI leverages partnerships and resources to create lasting change.

As a trusted ally and advocate, IBWPPI remains dedicated to empowering Black women and underserved communities, ensuring equitable access to healthcare, and improving the quality of life for future generations.

IBWPPI Considers the Water Issues of Haiti a Global Health Concern – The Haitian People Need Your Help!

According to the Center for Human Rights and Global Justice on Haïti, “only 55.2 percent of the population has access to an improved water source, while close to 70 percent does not have direct access to potable water” (15, CHRGJ, et al). This is a global health challenge and one that the International Black Women’s Public Policy Institute has embraced as one of its international health policy issues.

In our effort to make a significant difference and to provide as much substantive help to the people of Haïti as possible, IBWPPI has also partnered with Community2Community, (C2C), a 501c3 non-profit, service organization dedicated to “creating self-sufficient communities by working with the community”.

Community2Community (C2C) was created post the 2010 Earthquake that produced extensive damage in Haïti. Post Earthquake, 1.5million people were left homeless and without access to basic human necessities such as, clean water, food, proper health care, sanitation and education. To date, it is estimated that 850,000 people still remain without those basic necessities. Having access to adequate health care and clean potable water is a major problem in many parts of Haïti, including the mountainside communities of Petit Goȃve, a coastal commune in the south of Haïti. Prior to the earthquake, rural communities were in dire need of health, education and welfare infrastructure. Post earthquake, it became an emergency.

The local voice and local leadership is a key part of this participatory pilot project. Following 10 years of collaboration with their Partner Communities on the water and health initiatives, they focused on two priorities:

the construction of a multiroom/purpose Health & Wellness Center
the completion of Phase 3 and 4 of the Water Distribution System

The Health and Wellness Center of the Continuous Care Initiative (CCI) and Kiosks of the Water Distribution System will provide low cost, comprehensive access to health care and clean water on the mountain via an onsite center operated by the community Peasant Association in partnership with C2C.

The Water Distribution System currently:

Provides access to clean potable water reducing the incidences of digestive borne diseases for children and most vulnerable adults, pregnant women and elderly
Enables the community to improve agricultural production to reduce the source of food insecurity in the community. This can only be accomplished with access to clean water.

C2C committed to assisting as co-laborers, walking along-side to support their Partner Communities to self-sufficiency.

The estimated completion time for the project in the Mountainside Partner Community, fully funded, is approximately four years. The community had already begun these initiatives prior to the earthquake with very limited resources and very little support.

IBWPPI’s goal is to mobilize intellectual, financial, and material resources to the point of need to implement initiatives that will result in restoring, rebuilding, revitalizing and re-investing in communities to help them obtain and maintain self-sufficiency.

Resources

We Can Still Do More. To become a part of our Haitian Initiative, click here to contact us. You can also donate by clicking here. Every donation counts!