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Faith in Action for Health Equity
April 28, 2025
Matters of health equity are a major focus of the Interfaith Health Equity Partnership (IHEP), a committee of the InterFaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit (IFLC). Health Equity refers to the fair and just opportunities for all people to achieve optimal health, regardless of their social, economic, or geographic circumstances and background. IFLC and IHEP recognize that faith leaders are more than spiritual guides, they are catalysts for community health empowerment to address pressing health needs and disparities. They are often the first point of contact for families in crisis.
The Interfaith Health Equity Partnership (IHEP) acknowledges the alarming and preventable loss of life of pregnant and post-partum women and infants in SEM. This is especially true for women of color and immigrants who are three times and two times respectively more likely to die than their white counterparts. More than half of these deaths are preventable. IFLC has received a grant from the Southeast Michigan Perinatal Quality Improvement Coalition (SEMPQIC) to empower, educate, and equip women, men and families to reduce risk factors and improve birth outcomes. In partnership with Zeman Internarial, the grant funding will provide for a number of services beginning with a Health Fair on May 6, 2025.
Health disparities are a key indicator of inequities in access to prenatal care, socioeconomic inequality, and systemic racism that contribute to higher rates of poor birth outcomes. In this landscape, faith leaders play a crucial and often underutilized role in promoting maternal and infant health. IFLC is pleased to be part of the strategies and solutions to save lives.
