Project CRADLE Care & Postpartum Medical Detention Debt Relief

Women of color, regardless of their educational level, socioeconomic status, health insurance coverage, proximity to healthcare services, marital status, and other health behaviors, are twelve times more likely to die from pregnancy and delivery complications in some parts of our country. This is a critical healthcare issue that affects over 22 million individuals, not including the men and children who are also adversely affected by poor outcomes. In fact, Black women with a college degree are more likely to have infants with low birth weight and worse health outcomes during labor and delivery than white women who have not completed high school. These disparities result from a multitude of factors, ranging from chronic physiological stressors and underlying health conditions to structural racism and implicit biases in our healthcare system.

As a chapter, we have successfully integrated our Project CRADLE Care, one of our essential national programs, with the needs of our communities. Through community outreach, advocacy, education, and implicit bias training. Our goal is to address and reduce outcome and life-course disparities in our communities. The Nu Lambda Sigma has led several initiatives with several community hospitals in Ghana to erase medical debt for women admitted. Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Ridge Hospital, 3E Medical Center, and Military Hospital have all received financial donations from Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. The chapter has donated nearly $77,000 to maternity and newborn health initiatives since 2021.

Consequently, we identified a need to create an Annual Mother's Day Postpartum Medical Debt Relief program for mothers and babies. This is a common issue in Ghana. It presents an opportunity to assist mothers who are placed on medical detention and cannot be discharged until hospital bills are cleared. The majority of women have significant debts that they and their families struggle to manage. Some debts are as low as GH700 for natural childbirth, while others exceed GH10,000 for cesarean sections or other complications.

While medical debt relief can provide immediate relief to postpartum families, debt cancellation alone is not a sustainable solution to the systemic barriers that create it. Our Social Action Policy advocacy focuses on advancing policies that strengthen maternal health coverage; improve access to affordable prenatal and postpartum care; increase transparency in medical billing and accessing government insurance coverage, registration, and renewal of the National Health Insurance Scheme card; and protect families from harmful collection practices. By partnering with healthcare providers, policymakers, insurers, and community advocates, we will work to ensure that our communities are aware of the resources available to them so that no mother is forced to choose between her recovery, her newborn’s needs, and financial stability.

Support our efforts in creating sustainable solutions to a human rights problem. Donate to our Mother's Day Postpartum Medical Debt Relief and Advocacy Program. We are actively seeking collaborators, sponsors, donors, and subject matter experts to address challenges that disproportionately affect African women and their children, including chronic physiological stressors, underlying health concerns, broken systems, neocolonialism challenges, and implicit biases in our healthcare system. Reach out to us if you would like to support our efforts.