Infant Mortality Rate

In Massachusetts, the latest infant mortality statistics tell stories of hope and tragedy. Massachusetts providers should be proud that we have lowest infant mortality rate in the nation. But it is a moral outrage that the black infant mortality rate (IMR) is triple that for whites. The Commonwealth is not unique but we can and must close this gap. According to the Globe, “A tinderbox of poverty, racism, and chronic disease fuels the gap in infant mortality rates.” The article also pointed out that the IMR, and specifically the racial gap, is “a bellwether of a nation's commitment to social well-being.”

The constitutional amendment is important for many reasons, one of them being the commitment to social justice. It is a statement that we all deserve quality health care, regardless of race, age, or income. The IMR gap on racial lines is more evidence that not everyone in the state has access to the quality, affordable care that we believe everyone is entitled to.