Texas Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher announced Tuesday that Harris County has secured $1.4 million in federal dollars that will be dedicated to tackling the county's Black maternal mortality and morbidity rate.

The additional funds come after Harris County officials honored Black Maternal Health Week last month and stated the pressing need to address the alarming maternal death rate among Black women in the state's largest county. Black women are disproportionately impacted across the U.S. and in Harris County. A 2022 report published by Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee found that medical racism, implicit bias and inadequate healthcare led to Black women being more likely to die preventable and unnecessary deaths during childbirth than their counterparts of other ethnicities. 

U.S Centers for Disease Control data found that Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women. The likelihood for Black women in Harris County is even higher, according to Harris County Public Health Executive Director Barbie Robinson. 

"In Harris County, Black women are 3.5 times more likely to die in childbirth than their white counterparts," Robinson said in a press conference Tuesday. 

Robinson noted institutional racism and implicit bias in the medical field contribute to the county's alarming statistics. According to Robinson, the health department is creating a report on Black maternal mortality with data from Houston-area hospitals to see where additional training is needed. 

Last year, Harris County Commissioners approved $7.7 million in funding to address the maternal and infant mortality rate, with those local programs still in the early stages. The $1.4 million received this week comes from the 2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act and will be allocated to the county public health department's Maternal & Child Health Programs. The Maternal Child and Health Programs gives families one-on-one home support for up to three years, transportation vouchers, and parent-child relationship building counseling. The programs also offer assistance with prenatal care, substance use disorder services, food assistance and more. 

In a Tuesday statement, Fletcher said the county health department expects to help around 300 to 400 families within five years and is actively seeking families to enroll.  

Residents who want to participate in the program can email the county department at maternalchildhealth@phs.hctx.net or call  (713) 439-6000 for further questions. 

Correction: An earlier version of this story noted the funding came from the American Rescue Plan Act. Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher secured funding for this project through the 2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act.