Louisiana activists demand action linking toxic pollution to maternal health risks

Human Rights Watch reported that Louisiana feminist activists gathered on October 2 at the annual Black Birth Matters conference. The activists demanded that policymakers address how toxic air pollution and environmental damage harm reproductive health in the state. [1]

Human Rights Watch said the day-long event examined human rights in Louisiana and featured environmental and reproductive rights expert Kaitlyn Joshua alongside activist Shamell Lavigne. Joshua, a chronic asthma sufferer who lives in Geismar, Ascension Parish, shared that her physician directly attributed her health conditions to local air quality. [1]

Louisiana is located in the Deep South region of the United States and has a population of roughly 4.6 million residents. It is the only state in the nation divided into political subdivisions known as parishes rather than counties. [2]

Maternal health covers the health and well-being of women during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. Present-day climate change and human industrial activities continue to increase greenhouse gases and atmospheric pollution globally. [3][4]