Project NAF Celebrates 10th Anniversary

The infant mortality rate for African American babies is 2.5 times the rate of white babies before their first birthday.

NC resident black infant mortality rates per 1,000 live births in Buncombe County for 2002-2006: total births in Buncombe County (1105), total deaths (16), death rate (14.5).

Infant mortality is an important measure of health and an indicator of health status. Dr. John H. Grant and the Mount Zion Baptist Church organized a nonprofit, Mount Zion Community Development, Inc.

(MZCD), to address needs in the community, one of which was health disparities. Project NAF (Nurturing Asheville and Area Families), was MZCD’s first program initiative. Its goal: For minority babies to have a healthy first year of life and beyond.

The data and research
on the health of African American women, maternal and infant health has
led Project NAF to continuously design services to provide a continuum
of care to participants served. To reach this goal, Project NAF
provides culturally sensitive and individualized services for African
American pregnant and post-partum women and their families.

These services are provided up until the baby is eighteen months old
and are inclusive of but not limited to the following services:
support/advocacy services, education, referrals to community resources,
education of prenatal and infant care.

Its scope of services for FY 2007-2010 is: Perinatal smoking cessation
and environmental tobacco smoke reduction, sudden infant death
syndrome, breastfeeding education, folic acid education, and
preconception and interconception education.

Although infant mortality has declined over the past several years, the
gap between minorities and whites has not narrowed. Project NAF was
cited as a National Model in 2001. Led by the U. S. Bureau of Primary
Health Care, the 48 state exchange encompassed 180 sites and 6,000
participants.

Please join the Mount Zion Community Development, Inc. and Mount Zion
Baptist Church on Sunday, March 16 to celebrate the lives of NC State
Representatives who were committed to ending health disparities
throughout the state. We thank you Asheville and Buncombe County for
making a difference in the lives of African American pregnant women and
their babies.

For more information, please contact Belinda K. Grant at (828) 776-1427;

e-mail: [email protected] or visit the website at www.mtzionasheville.org

Board of Directors: Verita Woods, Chair, Sophie Dixon, Vice-Chair,
Doris Hankins, Treasurer, Arthur Mae Higgins, Asst. Treasurer, Evelyn
Herron, Secretary, Scott Burgess, Asst. Secretary, Bennie Lake,
Fund-Raising Co-Chair, Shirleigh Moog, Fundraising Co-Chair.