Birthing Project USA Unites to Reduce the African-American Infant Mortality Rate: Pilgrimage t...( -- African- American babies are 2.5 t...),Health

-- African- American babies are 2.5 times more likely to die at birth

than other babies.

-- The US Infant Mortality Rate currently ranks 42nd behind every other developed nation, including Cuba and Taiwan.

-- Shelby County Cemetery is the home of BABYLAND, the final resting place for over 17,000 babies and the national symbol of the Infant Mortality crisis in the United States.

NEW YORK, Dec. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Kicking off their '2009 Little Miracles Campaign', in conjunction with Dr. Miracle's, to increase the number of babies who are born healthy, Birthing Project USA: The Underground Railroad for New Life (BPUSA) held its national conference in Memphis, TN. The highlight of the event, which brought together community leaders and healthcare specialists, was a historic group pilgrimage to BABYLAND to commemorate the lives of babies lost and to beautify the unnamed burial sites. The only national community-based African-American maternal and child health organization in the country, BPUSA continues its effort to provide social support and guidance to 10,000+ babies and their families in over 90 communities in the U.S., Canada, and Honduras.

Led by Kathryn Hall-Trujillo, ASHOKA Global Social Entrepreneur and founding director of BPUSA, the pilgrimage put a face on the Infant Mortality statistics and served to renew dedication to eradicating this problem. "The fact that the US has buried more babies than soldiers during the last century is totally not acceptable and this inability to save our babies has to stop . . . now!" is her Call to Action.

About Birthing Project USA

The goal of BPUSA is to keep more babies of color alive by recruiting and training community SisterFriends volunteers to provide direction, emotional support, and education to mothers and moms-to-be. Exclusively partnered with Dr. M
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