The vision and goal of the Fresno County Preterm Birth Collective Impact Initiative is to create a future in which all women in Fresno County are in the best health before, during and after pregnancy so that more healthy babies are born.
California’s preterm birth rate is 8.3 percent and Fresno County has a significantly higher rate of 11.1 percent. Approximately one out of every nine babies in Fresno County is born at 37 weeks or sooner.
The Fresno County Preterm Birth Initiative has just set its goal: to reduce preterm births in Fresno County to 7 percent by 2025. This is a 37 percent reduction of all babies born prematurely in Fresno County.
When we bring people together, vital connections are made, missing pieces are found and strong community action is the result.
The Fresno County Preterm Birth Initiative is part of a 10-year Preterm Birth Initiative led by UC San Francisco. The comprehensive effort is funded by Lynne and Marc Benioff and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Fresno State serves as the backbone organization for the Fresno Initiative.
We are bringing together parents who have lived through their own preterm birth experience. Our Parent's Council will guide and lead the work in Fresno County, serving as our agents of change.