Description of Collaborative Activity: |
The Institute welcomed all HHS staff and their families to the 5th Annual Infant Mortality Awareness 5K Run/Walk/Roll.
Infant mortality is one of the most important indicators of the health of a nation. According to a National Center for Health Statistics data brief issued in 2013, the United States ranked 27th in the world in infant mortality. Medical research, public health outreach, and social services have helped the overall U.S. infant mortality rate to decline during the 20th century. In spite of this general decline, infant mortality rates for certain populations, including African American, Puerto Rican, and American Indian/Alaskan Native infants remain above the U.S. average of 6.05 per 1,000 live births.
This event reaffirms the NIH commitment to conducting and supporting research and outreach that reduces the U.S. infant mortality rate, and the disparate rates that impact communities of color. It also aims to raise awareness about infant mortality, particularly in those communities where the rates are above the U.S. average, by highlighting ongoing efforts from the NICHD and other Institutes, Centers, and Offices to address this public health concern. |
