As we embark on new and great things within our organization, we welcome you to join us in our efforts to save and preserve the lives of our babies. The Black Infant Health Practice Initiative (BIHPI) is a community movement that requires the participation of various entities, including educational institutions, professionals, civic organizations, the local government and the citizens, as a whole.

Statistics show alarming and disproportionate rates of infant mortality among African-Americans. In Hillsborough County, Florida Vital Statistics reports that of the 153 babies that died before their first birthday in 2007, African American babies died at a rate 2.3 times greater than that of White babies. Why is this? There are many factors related to this higher death rate including, education, access to healthcare, stress and quality of life. However, many of these and other traditional risk factors are not always to blame.

BIHPI and its partners are on a mission to raise awareness of infant mortality and educate families and communities on how to protect themselves and their infants. Our mission is to eliminate health disparities in Black infant deaths in Florida. As we continue on this journey, we realize that we can’t do it alone. We need our community to get involved. We encourage you to become an advocate for BIHPI and its initiatives. There are several opportunities available and we hope that you join us as we fight to save lives.